Mai-Hangover
by MelodicFlan
Summary: Sequel to Red Ribbon. Shizuru and Natsuki have been in a relationship for a year now. To celebrate her upcoming birthday, Shizuru invites the gang to AraAra Island. Chaos ensues after they wake up the next day. Crack, OoC, and a little breaking the 4th wall. Yuri. Multiple pairings.


**Mai-Hangover**

**Disclaimer: **No pandas were harmed in the production of this fanfiction. Mai-HiME is not mine and never will be. Cover art is drawn by Doropanda or Nanzaki Iku, but colored by me using Adobe PhotoShop.

**A/N:** I highly suggest reading Red Ribbon before reading this. It's not completely necessary, but it will allow you to understand some of the references. And holy crap this is long! 70 PAGES?! WHAT?! Also, a warning to possible mistakes.

Italics mostly denote Natsuki's thoughts.

* * *

><p>"Come, young Padawan. Enter the temple and begin your training." Duran, who donned a long white beard, spoke to Natsuki with wisdom.<p>

"Sensei, am I really ready to learn the mysteries of Mayo-Fu?" Natsuki asked nervously, digging a foot into the hard flat stones. The continuous jabs of her foot were forming a tiny crater.

"Yes…" The mechanical dog growled. "But to reach enlightenment, you must shed your earthly desires."

As if on cue, Shizuru called out from behind. "No, Natsuki! You mustn't! What about our wedding?!"

Bugged by the apparent words, a head swerved to the back. The older woman was clad in plain white lingerie, pure though lacy. On her head was a translucent veil, which matched a similarly transparent cape that draped over pink-tinged alabaster shoulders, flowing endlessly to the floor. Needless to say, her assets were in plain view, juggling akin to high-grade pudding, cupped firmly and unbearably enticing to a set of emerald irises.

Blinking, Natsuki swallowed. "S-Shizuru! What are you doing here?"

"No, my protégé, you must ignore this illusion! She is not real." Duran bellowed desperately, standing at attention.

"Natsuki, ikezu! You said you'd take care of me forever!"

There began a whimper. The accented cries of the Kyoto woman reached yearning ears.

Natsuki turned her body from her dog master to Shizuru repeatedly.

Then, her hand reached out for her lover. Before she knew it, her footsteps carried her towards the tawny-haired woman, embracing the saddened figure with strong yet feminine arms.

Her lips fell and made contact with silky tresses as her parted lips murmured tender words to sooth her partner. The younger former-HiME apologized softly. "I'm sorry, Shizuru. It'll never happen again. Of course, I'll always be with you."

"Well then, you shall fight for it!" The mechanical beast let out an earth-shattering roar.

The two women stepped out of their embrace, though their hands remain intertwined. There was a loud bang as the red doors slammed opened to reveal bottles of mayo, all carrying long wooden staffs.

Natsuki graced her lover with a smirk. In beat, the two separated. In their minds, they called forth their weapons. A crimson naginata along with a pair of dual revolvers with a round, navy cylinder materialized into thin air. Grasping onto their weapons, steady gongs sounded their final fight.

Moments later, Shizuru swung her arms down, slicing a body-sized mayo bottle in half. The force caused the fluffy condiment to splatter throughout the atmosphere, raining its oily drops onto the women's bodies. A carmine tongue darted out and licked the fattening cream off of supple lips.

On the other end, Natsuki was pinning down bottles of mayo with explosive cartridges, aiming left and right, never having to reload her pistols. It was like she had entered in a cheat like 'inf1nIteAmm0'. Needless to say, the deadly lovers dominated the field.

However, the end was not near. Bottles continued to pour through the opened gates as Duran unforgivingly rammed its head into to an oriental drum, summoning more enemies.

Soon the sound became deafening. Natsuki let out a blood-curdling cry as she punched into a bottle, her gun clad fist running through cheap plastic. Yanking out the hand, she tried her best to cover her eardrums, dripping the bottle's innards all over an ear, as the banging became louder.

"Shizuru!" She called out desperately. "The sound! Make it stop!"

Yet, her lover had not heard her. She watched as Shizuru became a menace on the battlefield, cleaving apart their enemies. The ringing was unbearable now.

"ARGH! MOTHER F-ING DAUGHTERS OF A NEWBORN SEA, SOMEONE SHUT THE DAMN THING UPPP!"

_ x_

Natsuki awoke, screaming the prior words. A hand went to clutch and sooth the massive headache. Around her were trails of echoing protests at the navy-haired girl's apparent wake-up call.

"Gaghh, my… OW!"

Despite the immediate pain to her forehead, our main character felt an odd searing to her left butt cheek. It stung like she had rammed it into a hornet's nest and continued to do so for the freaking fun of it.

However, for now there was that annoying ringing to take care of.

Her eyes yet closed, she fumbled around, hands reaching for a probable alarm-clock to chuck into the void. Her brow arched when she felt a soft object instead of a hard one.

_Oh… wow, that's soft. Like cotton? No, not cotton. Pudding? High-grade? Yeah!_

"Hgggnnnnmm…" The object seemed to moan, tickling Natsuki's nose with the puff of warm air.

…? ? ?

It felt oddly… bouncy. In the midst of her drowsiness, she dared the action again, fondling a supple mound. She heard the same noise again.

"Na…tsuki…" The owner of said object called out in a husky voice.

!

Quickly, the aforementioned girl's brain went into overdrive. Bouncing up like a spring, she snapped her eyes open and realized she had been molesting her lover with her hand. A flush tackled her cheeks almost immediately.

She inhaled a deep breath.

"Oh… oh my…. OH MY GAHHHHHHHHHHH! SHI-SHI-SHIZURU! WHAT-WHAT… OH… OH… MY... MAY DAY! BRAIN. EYES. OH… MY ROLLING BANANAS ON A HIGHWAY… DDEEEGHHHARGHH!"

None of it made sense to anybody's ears. One would suspect Natsuki would be used to this by now. After all, Haruka had once mistakenly but correctly dubbed Shizuru as the 'sex driver'.

**In other places in the suite… **

"Ughh, what up, Kuga." Someone rasped somewhere. "… ish shut up… Hah..ruka-chan…"

The quick exchange was followed by a faint animalistic mew, which was ignored for now.

"Maiiii, mmm, nom. Alerhm. No… good." Another person sounded. The request was fulfilled a few seconds later as a certain orange-head subconsciously turned off the device.

_ x_

Natsuki panted and retracted the offending appendage, or she tried to. There was a firm grasp on her wrist, and she stared at one crimson eye which peeked wearily open. But that was also when Natsuki's brain had shut down.

Shizuru's thumb rubbed idly on Natsuki's wrist as she gently spoke. "… Na… Natsuki? … Is everything alright?"

Emerald pools had widened to the size of a lake. Her failing brain juggled the mystery.

_Why…_

She stared harder.

_Why…_

She attempted to blink the image away, but it remained all the same.

_WHY IS SHIZURU IN A WEDDING DRESS?! OH~ wow. Those animal ears really match the dress._

_Wait… animal ears?_

_Why does Shizuru have animal ears?_

_No…_

_Wait, why is she wearing a wedding dress?_

_No! Who did she… _

_…_

_ME?!_

What reflected in her sight was a drowsy Shizuru, clad in a lengthy white dress, which was clearly recognizable as a wedding gown. Yet, instead of a veil on her head, there was a pair of fluffy ears. Natsuki allowed her mind to travel elsewhere and spent her remaining processing power guessing that the ears were part of a headband… which she could not see.

_I mean how many PETA supporters would be pounding on our door right now if Shizuru had surgically attached pointy cute dog ears to her head?_

"Shi-Shizuru…" She called out tentatively.

"Hmm?" The woman hummed, faintly attempting to yank her lover back down to cuddle.

"Did… did we do it?" Natsuki voiced her words poorly.

Shizuru was genuinely confused. Now more awake, she shifted her body on the bed, feeling a strange weight on her head. It was weird for Natsuki to be asking this question. Surely, she remembered all the other times right? So, what begged this question? 'Like the time on the couch, on the carpeted floors, in the shower… ara, even that time in the kitchen.'

Sensing her mind was drifting, Shizuru paused for a moment. Then, she spoke, adding her typical tease. "Natsuki… you'll need to elaborate—you're causing my mind to travel elsewhere."

Understanding the words, the said girl flushed. She found herself incapable of clarifying the subject. Instead Natsuki opted to lift the hand that was still gently stroking her wrist. Verdant irises studied them. Then, her gaze traveled to Shizuru's other hand, whose arm had been her makeshift pillow moments ago, examining them with the same scrutiny. She searched for a particular object on Shizuru's fingers.

She didn't know whether to sigh in relief or in disappointment when she didn't find a ring on one of Shizuru's digits.

_So… Shizuru's not married? That's a good thing… right? _

Her head pounded in response. Immediately, the searing sensation on her bottom along with the excruciating pain on her temples came back at her like a bullet train.

Natsuki was about to reply when a quaking scream shook the suite.

_ x_

Chie snorted softly. Something was tickling her nose. She groaned and waved it away. It was also unfoundedly hot. She knew they were on an island, but everything was sticking to her, making it feel like she was sinking in a smelly… furry swamp. Then, she felt Aoi lick her face, slathering saliva all over her nose and chin. 'Um, uh… that's… different.'

The ebony-haired woman briefly considered her girlfriend's new kink. However, peeking with an eye, she was met with a sight that caused her to backpedal away from her cuddle partner.

"Wahhhhh! What the—" Chie yelped.

But she was cut off by the bellow of a certain blonde in the living room.

_ x_

"WHY DO YOU HAVE A DINGDONG?!"

Natsuki almost tripped over herself as she exited the room, wanting to check on the commotion. She swerved her head from one end of the hallway to the other—out into the living room. Jogging lightly, she sensed Shizuru was following behind her, with the wedding gown and all.

The blue-haired woman was met with the sight of a frantic Yukino waving madly at Suzushiro Haruka with a weird object in her hand, attempting to calm her lover in hushed whispers.

"It's dildo, Haruka-chan." Yukino corrected… but then amended. "Oh, but… I don't know why this is here… It's not mine, I promise!"

The silence was crushed by the hum and wiggling movements of the elongated opaque sex-toy as it vibrated loudly into different pairs of ears.

There was a thump as it fell limply onto the floor.

_I… I don't even want to know…_

Next to the very awkward pair were Mai and Mikoto. The former was sleeping on the couch, while the latter was sleeping _on top_ of the couch with her limbs dangling like a cat and drool drizzling out a corner of her mouth.

"Someone! Anyone?! Help!" A feminine voice hollered desperately from one of the rooms.

Everyone stopped in their movements. Hearing the plea, the pair of former-HiMEs on the couch awoke. Giving each other a quick glance, they quickly made their way towards the room.

Seconds later, there was a mixture of reactions.

_I…_

_How?_

_WHY?_

"Friggin!" Haruka said loudly. Yukino remained quiet as she chewed on a thought.

Mikoto was a ball of energy and jumped on her toes, pointing a finger at it. It seemed that the years did little to take away her excitement. "Wow, Mai, look! Can we take it home? I think Jii would know a place to keep it, yup yup!"

Mai wheezed and made a lot of hand signs.

Shizuru commented lightly, chuckling. "Ara, there seems to be a panda in the room."

_It's like she just said it was raining or something… does nothing faze her?_

Chie was backed up against the wall as a large monochromatic bear rolled on its belly and waved its furry paws on the bed. She glared at the onlookers who looked amused. "Hello, friends? Help! A little help here!"

Taking a hold of the situation, Natsuki stepped forward. The bear paid no mind to her and continued to loll about. "Harada, I think you'll be okay. It looks harmless."

"No, I'm not! My camera is in my bag over there!" Chie did a double take before she retorted.

Natsuki arched a brow.

"Someone grab it for me!" The black-haired girl pleaded.

Yukino satisfied the request and took out the camera from Chie's bag. She gave it a hesitant lob, and the requester gave a gracious nod as she caught it with both hands, cradling it like a baby.

"Thank god, I was thinking I would lose this Kodak Moment." Immediately, the woman began bend and sway, taking snapshots at various angles.

A few moments later, Natsuki was blinded by a flash that was directed at her. "What the hell?" She waved the light away.

_Great besides my headache and my butt hurting, I'm also momentarily blinded by Harada Chie's camera._

As if noticing for the first time, Shizuru brought a hand to her mouth. "Arara…"

Yukino flushed as she peeked through her raised hands. "Natsuki-san… your clothes."

"Oh, great! That bubuzuke onna turned her into an exhibitionist!" Haruka commented. It was one of those rare moments where she actually gave the correct term.

Mai had to stop Mikoto from taking off her tank-top, who was attempting to match their blue-haired friend's attire. The orange-head rasped and coughed, attempting to say something. She gave a frustrated stomp when nothing came out.

_What's everyone talking about? Why is everyone staring at me? Exhibitionist? Why isn't Kikukawa correcting her? _

Finally, feeling a slight draft attacking her toned abdomen, she stared at her own body. Rapidly hands went to wrap around her torso as she dropped to a squat, squealing.

"Kyaaaaah!"

_Why am I only in my underwear?!_

Then, remember something, Natsuki growled at Chie. "You delete that photo right now, Harada!"

Natsuki was graced with a smirk. "Awww, com'on, Natsuki-kun. It'll be a memory." Chie waved her camera in emphasis.

There a shimmer within the set of crimson. Calmly, Shizuru stated. "Chie-san, please."

Gulping, the said woman nodded. "Err, yeah. Right away." The ebony-haired woman deleted the photo, driven by the sudden shivers that ran down her spine.

Mai, who had a better angle, studied her best friend. Trying to be a good buddy, she decided to tap Natsuki's shoulder. The said girl looked up at her with red still tackling her cheeks. Making hand gestures again, the orange-head attempted to convey her words. However, Natsuki just scrunched up her face in puzzlement. Seeing that she was getting nowhere, the short-haired girl smacked her forehead with a hand in frustration.

"Mai… what happened to your voice?" Natsuki asked, now a little less embarrassed.

Mikoto stared at the scene, nodding to herself. She chirped. "Umu… umu umu. Natsuki." The lingerie-clad woman gave the sword-wielder her full attention. "… Mai is saying you have a tattoo on your butt."

"I have a WHAT on my WHAT?" Our biker twisted her head so fast it almost popped off. Recalling the pain on her left butt cheek, she gazed down and saw black ink etched into the soft skin, rimmed by an inflamed pink. Pulling tentatively at the flesh for a better view, she noted the image of two pistols situated in an 'X' in front of what seemed to be a ceramic pot.

"Ughh, what is with all the noise? Can't I get my beauty sleep around here?" A voice groaned from the doorway. The figure was clutching her temple with one hand as she squinted. Another hand lazily scratched at her stomach, dragging the pink spandex.

Midori rubbed her eyes tiredly. Blinking, she squinted and thought she saw something odd on the bed. Commenting in full nerd, she spoke out of her usual character. "Goodness, is that an Ailuropoda melanoleuca? It is simply profound to see such a beautiful specimen so far from its natural habitat."

… ? … ? … ?

Choosing not to process those words, Natsuki asked. "J-Just what are you wearing?" _I know you wanted us to form the HiME Rangers, but really, Midori? _Natsuki stood up now, referring to the neon pink spandex suit that burned into her retinas.

"No, it's what are YOU wearing? I always knew you were more open than you've let on." Midori laughed in her retort. She got the response she had wanted when the biker flushed again.

This began a banter in which Natsuki attempted a rebuttal that was brushed off by the archaeology lover. In the background, Mikoto began to raise her voice, firing questions at Mai, who answered with bopping noises and various hand-gestures. Haruka recalled her earlier argument with Yukino and began to question the poor woman again. In response, Yukino stammered repeatedly. For a moment, Chie enjoyed the scenery, wishing she had a jar of peanut butter and a spoon. A little later, the black-haired girl realized she was still sandwiched between a wall and panda who was panting on the bed, so she slowly inched towards her group of friends, truthfully a bit mindful of the beast.

Drawing soft circles on the side her head, Shizuru diluted her focus and withdrew into her mind, reflecting the situation. 'Hmm, so this morning I woke in a wedding dress.' A lithe hand went to touch the fluffy ears on her head. 'And apparently, I'm donning these kawaee dog ears that would actually suit my Natsuki much more.'

Crimson orbs studied her lover's well-formed behind. A tongue subconsciously darted out and wet minutely chapped yet supple lips. 'Natsuki seems to have received that tattoo last night.'

Glancing at her former secretary and executive director, Shizuru mused. 'As for Suzushiro-san and Kikukawa-san, their only issue appears to be a disagreement on forms of intimate play.'

'It's obvious that Tokiha-san is suffering from a sore-throat.' She made a mental note to procure medicine for her guest later.

Bringing her hands together, the chestnut-haired woman sounded a clap, which garnered everyone's attention. Though usually laid-back, she was a perceptive woman who knew it was time to gather her friends and figure out this mystery. In soft Kyoto-ben, she summed up her prior thoughts.

"For now, why don't we wash up? It's apparent that all of us were heavily drinking last night and are now suffering from the after-effects. The others must be around the villa. If someone finishes early, please inform them to meet in the living room, so we can discuss what went on. If I am clear, then let's dismiss."

Natsuki would be caught dead in the past before she would admit to swooning to this kind Shizuru. The older woman was easily capable of making her blush, yes, but the keyword was 'making'. This Shizuru at the moment wasn't attempting to impress; she was simply taking a hold of the situation with her careful planning and plentiful charisma.

_ x_

"Okay, so we can't find Yukariko-sensei, Senou Aoi, and Yuuki Nao." The blonde concluded in her seat. Yukino had her notebook out and was jotting down the minutes.

"Thank you. Let me know when it's done." Flipping her cellphone shut, Shizuru comfortably interlaced her fingers with Natsuki's. "I just contacted a few people who will take care of the panda and bring him back to his home."

Now with her beloved voice partially regained, Mai made her first comment for the day, her words yet crackling and disappearing into the void. "Thanks for the medicine, Shizuru-san. For a second, I thought I would lose it forever, haha." She scratched the back of her head and finished with an awkward laugh.

"It's okay, Mai! I can interpret for you." Mikoto interjected, trying to assure the woman by digging her face into the two voluptuous mounds.

Mai laughed nervously now and attempted to pry the hyper woman off. Expertly, she lured her lover away. "Mikoto-chan, aren't you hungry? Why don't you go order some food for us?"

At this, Mikoto frowned and whined. "Why does Mai always try to lure me away with food whenever I hug her? Mai, do you hate me?" Her golden eyes wobbled and shimmered in sadness, drawing pity to those who gazed upon them.

_Wow, this was a new tactic. Seems like Mikoto's more immune to food now._

Mai stared apologetically at her lover. "Of course not, Mikoto. But I know you're hungry. We can cuddle later, okay?"

Pleased with the answer, Mikoto's stomach growled on cue. With a chirp, Mikoto bounced off the couch and stood at attention. Waving a quick salute, she scurried off on all fours to complete her mission.

_… Or not._

"So, we have three missing people and lost memories of the previous night." Natsuki repeated. Her demeanor called for her to coolly cross her arms, but right now one of her hands was pre-occupied. That hand felt warmer compared to the rest her body. She stole a glance at their intertwined hands. It was good distraction for the prickling feeling still left on her butt cheek.

She shifted uncomfortably in her seat.

_What? I did say 'was'!_

Next to Mai, Midori sat on the arm of the wheat-colored leather love seat. "Nao-chan can certainly take care of herself. It's Yukariko and Aoi-chan who I'm worried about."

Natsuki and Mai exchanged glances and watched Chie worriedly. The black-haired woman seemed to be in her own world, fixated on the tiny screen of her Nikon camera.

"Chie-san… don't worry we'll find Aoi-san and the others." Yukino comforted.

"If we find out what happened last night, I'm sure I'll be able to find Aoi." Chie said seriously. Then, with her head dipped, she grinned with a flash to her glasses. "Luckily, I brought my camera. Now, my buds, I'm sure even drunk I wouldn't let go of a shutter chance."

Understanding the implications, the group quickly crowded around the black-haired woman.

"Sheesh, can a lady get any more popular?" Chie joked as the women huddled around her.

Natsuki sensed Chie's jests were a cover for the nervousness and fear that she felt for Aoi. She looked at Shizuru, whose lips tugged into a small smile.

"Ha, dream on! You can never have thiiiiiss." Midori rolled a hand over her body, attempting to emphasize her curves, drawing exasperated groans all around.

Grinning, Chie responded in an over dramatic manner. "Oh, I would never! I mean…" She paused for the effect. "I wouldn't want Youko-sensei to beat me into a pulp."

Gasps sounded throughout the room. At first, our biker was confused until realization drew moments later. Ironically, Natsuki was the first to break the silence, looking stupefyingly at the HiME Ranger Enthusiast, who was still oddly dressed in her pink-ranger suit. "You're with Youko-sensei now?!"

"HOW DID YOU FIND OUT?!"

"I have my ways, ."

"Ara, this calls for congratulations."

"Seriously, can this group get any straighter?"

"Um… Haruka-chan… ah, never mind." Yukino was unsure if her girlfriend was speaking out of sarcasm or if it was plainly just another episode of malapropism.

"Oh gosh, when did this all start? You have to give us the details!" Mai stated excitedly, her voice breaking akin to a boy hitting puberty. She loved to gossip.

Hounded by the growing responses, Midori waved her hands wildly in her air. "Can we please go back to worrying about our missing friends?!"

Laughing madly, Chie pushed up her falling glasses. Midori gave her a glare that spelled 'this is not over'. The raven-haired girl mouthed. "Yeah, it's not."

Breathing out her final chuckles, Chie turned on the device; she pushed the button for 'gallery mode'. The women quieted down and drew near the screen.

The small screen showed pictures of the group smiling at the airport. Another one showed them arriving just outside the villa. Natsuki noted how well the woven sun hat looked on Shizuru. There were more pictures of them playing around in the villa.

"Well, I'm sure all of us remember up until that point." Natsuki's words were dipped in slight irritation.

"Patience, Natsuki-kun." Chie replied as she pressed 'next' repeatedly to skip the next photos.

Then, there was a photo of them inside the local bar. All too rapidly, the group was drawn into a flashback.

_- Flashback Start -_

"Wow, I never even heard of AraAra Island." Mai exclaimed as she stepped off the Fujino Private Jet. The bright rays glared at her, causing her shield the sight with a hand.

Midori whistled. "Now that's what I call a vacation!"

Natsuki automatically went to retrieve Shizuru's luggage, ignoring the look of a troubled attendant. The biker felt territorial against her lover's belongings. The tea-drinking woman was quiet and watched as the situation ended with her father's employee turning away, frightened by the navy-haired girl's glower.

"Mai, Mai! Look, it's the ocean! Can we go swimming later? We brought swimsuits, right? Yup, yup! Wow!" Mikoto jumped excitedly.

"Keh, I guess it's not bad." Nao commented dryly. Akin to a model, she combed through hot pink locks with a free hand. The sun reflected onto the black aviator shades that she wore. The former master of Julia was clearly prepped for the event.

Suzushiro Haruka had exited the plane, stepping down the final steps with her hands placed firmly on her hips. She bellowed in a loud voice, causing her peers to wince. "Looks like there is finally another thing to like about you, Fujino!"

Unfazed by the volume, Shizuru chortled and voiced her response, expertly adding words to brush the blonde's ego. "Ara ara, please do not think of me too highly, Suzushiro-san. I'll still require your great skills to accomplish feats for the student council."

Seeing the blonde guffaw proudly, Yukino sweat-dropped. "H-Haruka-chan…"

Chie looked in her viewfinder and took a picture of the scenery, capturing the moment. She silently promised to take pictures for her friends the entire trip. Human memories may fail, but pictures would never lie. Heck, they say a picture's worth a thousand words. Well to her it was also a hobby, but that was beside the point.

"Thanks for inviting us here to celebrate your birthday, Kaichou-san." Aoi gratefully thanked the President of Fuuka University.

Smiling, the chestnut-haired woman answered softly. "I should be the one thank you. Ookini, minna-san. Agreeing to come to this island with me was the greatest present."

Natsuki glanced at the alabaster visage. A week or so ago, while the gang had been mulling over what present to give to their kaichou, the said woman came up to them with an invitation to celebrate her birthday at AraAra island. Though Natsuki secretly wanted to spend the day alone with her lover, she was also happy Shizuru was opening up to her friends. The two day vacation also acted as a party to celebrate the end to a difficult school term.

"Happy Birthday, Shizuru." Natsuki said clearly, pouring her heart into the words.

The biker's congratulatory words began an echo of similar phrases. Shizuru appeared genuinely happy. It'll soon be her graduation, and this would be one of the last chances for everyone to spend time together. Sadly, some of them could not make it.

"I do hope Takumi-san gets better soon." Shizuru said gently.

Mai withheld a frown, not wanting to ruin the joyous day. At first, she had insisted on staying with her little brother, but Akira waved her off, stating it would be rude for Mai to not attend Shizuru's party. At the moment, the female ninja was likely caring for her little brother, shedding that arrogant and stiff mask of hers and showing Takumi unveiled love and… maybe even whispering sweet nothings. Chuckling inwardly, the orange-head shook her head. It was more likely the roles were reversed. 'Takumi never stopped caring for others despite his illness. I do hope he gets better soon. I'll leave it to you Akira-chan.'

"He'll be fine. Oh, Akira-chan wanted me to tell you 'happy birthday', too, since she couldn't make it." Mai said apologetically.

"It's fine, Mai. It's not like your little brother asked to catch the flu." Natsuki commented casually, attempting to brighten her best friend's mood.

"If we're blaming someone, can I suggest Akane-kun?" Chie perked up with a raise of the hand. Aoi laughed lightly and smacked on her lover's shoulder.

"Chie-chan, you know Akane-chan couldn't help it either. She couldn't well miss the honeymoon with her husband."

"Cheh, we might as well declare her AWOL. That woman has never attended any of our events." Nao expressed sharply, not hiding her irritation.

"Ala, what wall?" Haruka asked with a blank face. Yukino inconspicuously whispered into her lover's ear. "It's AWOL, Haruka-chan. It stands for Away Without Official Leave." This caused the blonde to huff. "I knew that!"

"Haha, are you already missing your Tomoe-chan?" Midori quipped.

The news of the former-delinquent hooking up with the mysterious Tomoe Marguerite had spread throughout campus after Chie had told the group a year ago. As the head of the journalism circle, the ebony-haired girl kept a corner in the newspapers, which focused on the secretive couple's not-so-secretive dates and other tidbits of information.

"Ara, I did extend the invitation to Marguerite-san as well." Shizuru spoke her thought out loud.

A tomato color made its way to Nao's cheeks, tingeing smooth skin with a deep crimson. The pink-haired girl stammered. "Wh-what. N-no, i-it's fine. Sh-she's busy anyways." She finished with a scoff.

At this point, everyone expected Natsuki to point a finger and bend over in laughter, taunting her former-nemesis. However, when that did not occur, many brows arched in confusion. Unbeknownst to many members of the group, Natsuki and Nao had a silent agreement; they were joined in a camaraderie or a two-person society known as 'BNM – Blush No More, Save Our Dying Capillaries'.

Emerald pools flashing a telepathic message to her comrade, Natsuki interjected, changing the subject. "We'll definitely get everyone together the next time."

Shizuru had thought about inviting everyone from the HiME Carnival. However, she reconsidered and turned the event into a girl's only party. The kaichou had invited Miyu and Alyssa as well. Yet, Miyu refused politely, knowing there would be alcohol and that it would later cause unforeseen chaos that she did not wish for her special person to take a part of. Little did Miyu know how correct her speculations would be.

An hour or so later, the gang was dropped off at one of the Fujino's many villas. It was a long and flat building, consisting of a single story. It was situated next to the beach with palm trees and humidity decorating the location. Yet, at a single call, there were attendants capable of catering food twenty-four-seven and within ten minutes to boot.

After another hour spent settling down their luggage and verbally agreeing on the room assignments, Shizuru meticulously handed each person a card with the villa's address; it was a precaution for anyone who got lost in the foreign land. Taking care of matters, everyone agreed with Mikoto (who had already stripped down to a one-piece) that a nice dip would be nice way to start the vacation. Thus, the excited women ran outside, chasing each other on the sandy beaches, jumping and playing beach volleyball, diving excitedly into the clear waters.

Now back inside the building after hours of giggling like small children, Midori stepped out into the living room, clad in glossy black boots, a short skirt which left little to imagination, and a sleeveless blouse. She stared at the paste-ty white faces (gotta wear sun-block!), who stared back her inquisitively.

"What you guys seriously were thinking that's it? No bars? No drinking?" The blank stares confirmed her theory. "But I'm already all dolled up!" Midori said exasperatedly.

When everyone simply continued their prior business, Midori sought for the group's weakest link. Locking her sights onto lilac irises, the archaeology lover baited. "Hey, I've heard there's good karaoke in town."

'Hook. Line. And…'

The woman with short citrine locks immediately swerved towards her former-teacher.

'sinker…"

"Hey… guys, I think we should actually go. Midori-chan's right." Mai remarked.

The rest of the group (save Midori) gave her even looks, which stated I-know-you-only-want-to-go-so-you-could-sing. The former master of Kagutsuchi returned a glare that stopped further protest.

_Why do I feel an odd sense of déjà vu? _

Natsuki felt an odd shiver run down her spine. She sipped onto her beverage, knitting her brows in worry. She relaxed when she felt a hand stroking tenderly at the small of her back. Glancing behind a shoulder, she saw the crimson-eyed woman walk up to her. Shizuru bent down and gave a peck to her bouncy cheek before resuming an upright position and supporting Midori's suggestion.

"It is a good idea. I don't visit bars often, so maybe today will be a good experience, ne, Natsuki?"

A bit of pink attacked the biker's features. While she was much bolder in their displays of affection, it did not mean she was growing immune to them. Coughing slightly, the said girl choked on her drink. "Only if you say so, Shizuru."

"Coolio~ I know the island's best watering holes!" Midori pumped a fist excitedly in the air. Even if she was not seventeen anymore, there were times when she acted like it.

"I thought this was your first time here? … Heck, a first time for everyone except for our dear kaichou-san over there." Nao voiced suspiciously.

"Actually, Yuuki, I wouldn't doubt her when it comes to alcohol…" Natsuki interjected lightly. The nods around the room (though Midori was oblivious to them) signified the general understanding.

The former-delinquent shrugged and went to her room to change. She was soon followed by the rest of the gang, who went into their rooms to dress in more club-like attires. The long-haired woman plopped herself onto the leather seats as she waited for her friends to dress up.

Grinning evilly, Midori pulled out a small package, which was formerly housed between her cleavage. 'Oh ho, tonight's gonna be fun.' She silently thanked Youko for (begrudgingly) agreeing to supply her with the pills. 'Oh, don't worry they're completely harmless.' The teacher directed her thoughts to no one in particular. 'It's not something dangerous like roofies… they're just funsies, packed with 100% alcohol. Compressed Vodka, hehe.'

Two hours later, the women were kicked out of a bar, banned from ever entering the place ever again. It all began when they threw peanuts at each other, which escalated into who could strip off more clothes. Apparently, Natsuki was the closest winner, who had been down to nothing but her lacy and stylish lingerie. One could cement the argument that it was the hot, searing, and tongue-filled kiss that she gave to Shizuru in a yuri frenzy, which made the biker the clear MVP for the night.

_- Flashback End -_

Subconsciously, a finger lightly grazed her lips, attempting to relive the sensation from the previous night. A faint red danced upon her features as Shizuru recalled her lover's boldness.

Likewise, fifty shades of red attacked the biker's visage. The other women blushed as well, recalling their personal embarrassing moments at the bar. Then, Natsuki promptly channeled her embarrassment to anger.

"Dammit, Midori, why da hell do you always have to friggin' spike our drinks!?" Natsuki thundered in frustration.

"Hey! I didn't really spike your drinks! It was just like… adding solidified alcohol… into alcohol? So… in the end… it's really just like alcohol plus alcohol, which is just alcohol." She tried poorly. "Anyways, hey I'm sure we all needed it. With all our recent timetables and all."

"I just can't believe we got so drunk we forgot the entire night." Mai placed her hand on her temples, rubbing them and sighing.

"This still doesn't explain how Yukino got her dingdong." The blonde mulled over loudly. This caused the introvert to blush harder. Natsuki at that moment considered extending membership of BNM to the poor woman.

_Wait, I'm supposed to be angry right now. I-I can't believe she made me do that! No, mini-me! I don't care if you tell me it was because of the alcohol! Someone is going to answer for these crimes, and it's not me!_

Recalling her rage, Natsuki flashed a death-glare at the former-spear wielder, who gulped uncertainly. The other woman stepped back nervously, waving her hands in front of her as the bike grinned evilly and cracked her knuckles. Crimson orbs watched on, amused though slightly bitter at the fact that Midori was able to trick her as well.

Chie looked between the two women, wishing Nao was there so the two could start placing bets on how long it would take before Midori was dangling upside down from a palm tree.

The said woman had now backed against the large flat-screen television. Midori fumbled blindly, her arms reaching out for something to protect herself as she stared into feral green irises. Suddenly, the atmosphere was broken by the sound of a reporter commenting through the electronic speakers.

"—a hero folks! That's right; she's a true 'Mighty Morphin Power Ranger'! Here we have a special clip taken last night from the security cameras."

The reporter's enthusiastic face was replaced by a scratchy replay, showing an overhead view of a woman clad in a neon pink spandex suit. It appeared she was hollering for justice as she chased down two men, who were scrambling desperately away. The event ended with the woman screaming "DOUBLE FALCON KICK!"—thus, knocking down the two villains. A few seconds later, a police officer edged near the scene with his hand resting on his holster and arrested the pair.

"Our local crime-fighter, after witnessing two men stealing from an elderly citizen, took off and pounced on the two robbers." The television showed two mug shots of the thieves, which soon faded into a picture of the victim, Jane Clark, age 66. "The victim, Jane Clark has agreed to shed some light in yesterday's events."

The screen faded again to show an old woman with grey hair in a woven pink sweater. Her eyes were bulging as she recalled the event. "She was, wow! Out of nowhere like 'shazam'! God bless her soul for helping this poor old lady…"

On the other side of the screen, the group was slack jawed and flabbergasted. Midori appeared sheepishly smug and rubbed the back of her neck with a white spandex covered hand. "Eheh, so that's what happened to me yesterday. D'aww, she's really too kind."

Mai smacked her hand against her forehead. This action was followed by the others save for Shizuru and Yukino; the former attempted her best poker face, while the latter gave Midori a look of admiration, clasping her hands in front of her as if in prayer, with eyes sparkling.

"Oh, folks, but there's more!"

The women returned their focus to the screen, watching the grey-haired announcer. The man snapped his fingers and another video from the security cameras began to play.

"That's Aoi!" Chie exclaimed.

The video seemed to be direct sequel of the previous one. A dark feminine figure with flowing hair was running towards the police officer, who was preoccupied with cuffing the thieves. Like a pro football player, she tackled uniformed man and mounted him. Then, the assailant was about to release a flurry of punches at the poor officer but was stopped short by the other authorities who had arrived.

"Oh, no." Mai gasped. At that moment, the front door slammed open, and Mikoto burst in with large bags of food in both hands.

"Mai, look! I got everyone food! Umu, there's everything in here." She searched for praises from her friends but found none. Natsuki's demeanor was oddly serious. Golden orbs watched on in confusion as her torso swayed left and right, unsure as to why her buddies were so alarmed. But before she could say anything else, the other girls ran out the open door.

"… We have to fail her!" A voice recognizable as Haruka's trailed in the wind. This was followed by the echo of "It's bail, Haruka-chan!"

_ x_

"Why are there so many cats following us?!" Chie screamed as they ran for the police station. At least ten cats trailed behind them. As they ran down the streets more stray cats joined in the march. Soon there were over thirty feisty felines padding alongside with the gang.

"Ah ha, being chased by -hic- pussy has never had such a literal meaning." Midori ran proudly in her pink ranger suit, her eyes slightly clouded. In a hand held a bottle of whiskey. No one could separate the teacher from her alcohol for too long.

"Really, Midori? We're going to a police station, and you're drinking!" Natsuki proclaimed.

"Ara, I believe it's fine, Natsuki. The most important thing is that Midori-san is still dressed in her hero attire. That alone should bolster our chances of freeing Aoi-san." Shizuru spoke calmly; her voice was without a hitch even as she ran.

"Mai, what are running for?" Mikoto was still lugging the food in her hands, links of sausages flailing and threatening to fly out of the bags.

"Mikoto, Aoi-chan got arrested. We're going to save her!" Mai pumped power in her legs.

"E-ev…ery…one," Yukino panted as she made an effort to keep up, a hand clutching her shoulder bag protectively. "W-why… why are… we not driv..ving there?!" The introvert pushed up her slipping glasses.

This caused everyone to momentarily slow down and give each other inquisitive looks. Shizuru's lips tugged into an amused smile as if she had been waiting for someone to declare the point.

Suzushiro Haruka appeared slightly offended. She glanced at Yukino akin to a mother ready to reprimand her child. "Yukino. Can't you tell everyone wants to be dramatic? Of course, we all thought to use a car or whatever Fujino could provide. But we're trying to physically show how much we care for Senou-san. Simply being taken there by a vehicle actually downplays our friendship." She finished with a huff and crossed her arms.

_Actually, I'm pretty sure most of us were just caught up in the moment._

A few seconds flew by. A cartoon-like ball of dust bounced across the street. Instead of the complementary cawing of ravens, there were meows, which resounded in the girls' eardrums.

Emerald pools glanced into crimson orbs. Knowingly, Shizuru gave her a quick bob of the head. "I'll call a driver to pick us up."

_ x_

Minutes later, the girls ran inside the building. All of them donned a small kitten on their heads. The kittens purred with their limbs lazily outstretched, their tails swishing gently.

"Sorry, ma'am… uh, but no animals allowed." The policeman stated with an arch of an eyebrow.

"What the? How did this get here?" Natsuki pried the thing off her head and tossed it aside. The kitten back-flipped and flicked its tail skywards. Raising its hips, the angry animal mooned at the biker, tainting the woman's sight with a very pristinely cleaned butthole. A vein flexed on a femininely toned neck as the navy-haired girl growled in response. The animal hissed at her and stalked away, running down the building's steps and disappearing into the bushes.

_ x_

"Aoi!" Chie stepped towards the cell, her outstretched arms clutching the metal bars as soon as it was of reach. The jail barely shook as the feminine figure literally slammed into it. "Are you okay?!"

"Chie-chan!" The brown-haired woman looked up from her cot and saw her lover. Quickly, she ran to the other woman, and the two interlaced their hands as best as they could despite the metal obstructions.

_Chie must've been really worried about Aoi. _

The tawny-haired president dipped her head in politeness and addressed the officer. "Yes, that's her, officer." Then, she turned towards Natsuki, lifting a hand to brush against Natsuki's. The gentle stroke of her thumb lasted barely a second as crimson orbs flashed an apologetic glance. "Wait here, while I take care of matters, na, Natsuki?"

"Always." Natsuki replied; her mood brightened by the simple gesture. Though they've been together for a while now, Shizuru had never lessened her amount of longing gazes whenever they had to part, even if it was only for a short moment. It made the biker feel needed, wanted.

"Neh, Aoi, why are you in jail?" Mikoto asked innocently.

Senou Aoi answered with downcast features, guilt written on her face. "I… apparently… tackled a police officer." She glanced at the ebony-haired woman. "I didn't know whether to contact you. I felt really bad for hurting an officer even if I did it while I was intoxicated."

"I'm just sad that I wasn't able to take a picture of you during that moment. You know you looked really hot from the security cameras when you tackled and mounted the man. I was a little jealous even." Chie winked at her girlfriend attempting to sooth the woman.

This caused the sad woman to laugh and tug her lips into a saddened smile.

"So… er, does this mean we're cool?" Midori said. Then, she hiccupped.

"Not until we know what happened to Yuuki and Yukariko-sensei." Natsuki stated. "Do you know what happened to them, Aoi?"

"What…? They aren't with you?" The long-haired woman glanced around and saw the two women were missing.

"No, we haven't seen them since we've woken up." Haruka crossed her arms and looked thoughtful.

"Where could they have gone?" Yukino asked worriedly.

"Hey, Chie-chan could you check your camera?" Mai perked up in a raspy voice.

The raven-haired woman turned on her camera, and the group crowded around the device. Chie turned the camera, so even Aoi could glance at the tiny screen.

Shortly after, Mai and Haruka looked at each other in confusion.

_ x_

"Just what is this?"

"No, the question is… where is this?"

"It seems to be a circle of some sort…"

" -hic- Crop circle?" One suggested.

"No, dammit Midori."

"Ara, Natsuki such language."

The group huddled together near a bench a ways from the police station. They wanted to discuss the photo over breakfast, but cats tackled them immediately when they had exited the building. None of the restaurants wanted to accept the women and their entourage of thirty or so feline specimens. Luckily, Mikoto was still clutching onto the bags of food. Mai quickly whipped up some sandwiches. As for Natsuki, the orange-head simply handed her the left over bottle of mayo.

"Why am I in such an unseemly pose?" Haruka huffed.

"I think… you're break-dancing in there, Haruka-chan." Yukino replied in a small voice.

Natsuki lifted the bottle of mayo and squirted the condiment into her mouth. The group held back a grimace. Swallowing, the biker mulled over the photo.

"Would you like some bread to go with your mayo, Natsuki?" Shizuru asked politely, handing her a piece of French bread. The said girl whispered a quick thanks and then spoke clearly.

"Look, Mai is in the corner… why is she stretching her hand out like that?"

"Isn't she rapping?" Aoi inputted helpfully.

"Mai, what's rapping? Does it taste good?" Mikoto inquired.

"Well, Mikoto-kun, it depends on where you're coming from." Chie answered slyly for the karaoke lover.

_I don't even know want to know what you're referring to…_

"But… But I don't think I know how to rap." Mai remarked with a scratchy voice. She rubbed her sore throat and scooped a spoon of pudding into her mouth.

"Hmm…" Mikoto crossed her arms, knitting her brows. "It doesn't explain why Mai lost her voice."

"Isn't it possible she lost her voice from… uh, rapping too much?" Natsuki guessed. She peeled off a piece of her bread and threw it into her mouth. Then, she squirted mayo into her mouth to complete the dish. Even the cats began to recoil from the biker, which she was totally fine with.

_I hate cats. Damn furballs._

"No, that's impossible." The orange-head stated strongly. "I have confidence I can sing for days without rest."

"Yup, yup!" Mikoto bobbed her head in agreement, shoving an entire block of ham into her mouth.

_I don't think I know anyone who loves singing and cosplaying as much as you do. _

"Come to think of it, did you ever restore your collection?" Natsuki voiced her thoughts, referring to how the fire at the karaoke last year decimated her best friend's treasure trove of costumes.

Mai sighed in response. It'll never be the same. Those costumes were unique… the one and only.

"Please, people! Let's focus on the task at hand." Haruka spoke louder than usual. She gave herself the vote of confidence. Out of everyone, she personally expected better conduct out of her intoxicated self. When nothing seemingly occurred to her that morning, she had secretly sighed in relief. Now that relief was destroyed—torn apart by a preposterous photo of her body contorted into an untoward pose, twirling with her head on the ground as her legs wildly kicked towards the sky.

"I see some of the onlookers with their phones pulled out in the photo. Maybe we're in luck." Chie grinned and pulled out her smartphone. Tapping in a few keys, she opened her MyTube app and punched in a few keywords. "… And yup, here it is."

"Hey guys, Chie-chan just found a recording of the photo." Aoi gathered the gang's attention.

"Nanu?!" Haruka pushed for a front spot to get the best view of the tiny screen.

All too soon the video loaded and showed a shaky video of clip of the prior night's events.

_- Flashback Start -_

They had straggled into the shadier part of the town. Chie, Mai, Mikoto, Haruka, Yukino, Natsuki, Shizuru, Nao, and Yukariko traveled without the awareness of their two missing companions. Save for Shizuru, the rest of them were happily singing various renditions of 'happy birthday' to the Kaichou of Fuuka University.

"Snap, snap, snap! Oh, snap, bros!" Chie cheered, taking many random pictures with her Nikon camera.

Yukariko did a little spin and threw her jacket onto the ground, giggling like a madwoman. "Let us all enjoy the embrace of God! Hallelujah! Bless all the souls! Yesh… you cheeeww you wiii little thing." She cooed at the air.

Then, she spun again and knocked on the thick book in her hand. "Whooooooo! Children, it's time for enlightenment! Sit down and read!"

"Noooo, I want more food, Mai! Mai, where's the food? I want your ramen!" The cat-girl whined.

"Oh, hey, what's that? Is it… what's it called? Fapping? Look everyone! They're fapping!" Haruka bellowed loudly causing Yukino to giggle as she waved the glowing elongated sex-toy in the air. The device wriggled. When the currently-not-so-introverted girl down-pressed a button on the make-shift night stick, dirty British phrases sounded from its tiny speakers.

"Heheh, it's rapping, Haruka-chan!" The secretary was yet mindful of correcting her childhood friend's words. She pressed another button on the device and giggled as a deep manly voice drawled the words 'bloody hell'.

Nao was bent over laughing and pointing childishly at the blonde. "Hahahahhaa, she said a bad word! Pootttyyy mouuuthhhh!"

"Let's crash their party!" Mai declared with a pound of a fist on her voluptuous chest. Her assets gave a slight jiggle.

The group peered at the circle of people gathered in a battle-rhyming event. In the wide circle were two contestants, who were busy talking down each other. Some of the members beat-boxed for the pair, performing vocal percussions of steady beats. Nearing the circle, the girls picked up pieces of the current battle.

"Ey, man you slippin?

You gotta be trippin'

Cuz we're all ballin'

But you're only fallin'"

Unbeknownst to the gang, Mikoto had already disappeared at this point, wandering off in search of food.

"Seriously? Even I can do better than that!" Haruka commented her disgust at the rapper's poor attempt at braggadocio—putting down their opponent.

Moments later, the said rapper stepped out of the ring with a dejected look. The crowd hollered and repeated the word 'next'. The blonde pondered for a moment.

Then, without a care in the world, the blonde stepped into the circle. The other artist spread her arms and sized her opponent. "You think you up for this, princess?"

Coolly, the blonde gestured with a quick tilt of the head at a certain orange-head. Mai stepped in behind Haruka and brought her hands towards her mouth and began beat-boxing. Immediately, the usually-serious woman broke into her first lines.

"Wow! Dreamers wanna test me again.

Sorry, my rhyme's gonna snatch your brain, yo."

In the midst of the crowd, crimson orbs watched her lover carefully. The biker had been quiet the entire time since they've exited bar. She wet her bottom lip as she gazed at Natsuki's toned figure. They had entered a shop moments ago out of curiosity. A full-body black leather suit had caught the biker's interest, and she had immediately bought it. Shizuru loved how the leather hugged Natsuki's curves, accentuating both the softness and hardness of her lover perfectly. She was simply delicious right now. Swallowing, the older woman shook her head slightly.

"Mahh, my Natsuki is so oddly silent. What's wrong, my love?" Shizuru gave her a wide smile with flushed cheeks. She was tipsy, but she was nowhere as plastered as her other friends.

Natsuki appeared strangely serious. Her brows were knitted together as her emerald irises squinted. Quickly, she brought a finger to her lips to hush the older woman. "Shhh… Shizuru… they might be watching."

At this, the kaichou raised a perfected eyebrow. The biker continued. "Martians. We don't want to be abducted..." The navy-haired girl shivered. She whispered the sentence into Shizuru's ear. The latter girl tried not to squirm as the hot breath tickled her cheek. "They…" Verdant orbs glanced around suspiciously. "… alter you." Then, the green pools widened. "Take away your ability to love mayo."

Shizuru was about to politely deter her lover from the notion until she was interrupted by developing scene in the circle. Haruka had snapped her fingers and swapped places with Mai. Then, the blonde did something the older woman would've never expected: break dance.

In clearly practiced steps, Haruka began with toprock, simply bouncing a foot forward and then alternating them in beat. Then, flashing a grin, which made Yukino swoon and wave her sex-toy madly in the air in a ferocious cheer, the blondette bent her body forward and then swiped at the ground. Twisting her torso, she performed a windmill, lowering her head towards the ground as her legs kicked into motion, maneuvering her body into a mini-tornado.

The crowds cheered as Mai seconded her friend with some feisty lyrics. Suddenly, the orange-head broke off and delivered soothing opera. It amazed the onlookers and made them holler their approval. Just as quickly, the former master of Kagutsuchi fell back into a rap, spouting quick words.

In her excitement, she did not notice her other friends (save for Haruka) walking off, driven not by boredom but by a mysterious force, which forced them to explore other parts of the town.

_- Flashback End -_

"… You two unexpectedly make a good team." Natsuki commented.

Mai sighed. "This still doesn't explain what happened to my voice."

"Well, I certainly know why my body was in so much pain this morning." Haruka huffed dryly. Yukino idly stroked her girlfriend's back, though her attention was currently drawn towards a certain item hidden in her bag.

"Awww, how could I have missed this?" Midori whined, a bit sobered.

"Oh wait, what's this?" Chie glanced at the list of suggested videos. One of the titles read 'Mad girl all drunk and shit'. Tapping on the image, the small screen began to play a shaky video.

_The author of the recording hushed. "Holy, shit are you guys looking at this? Haha!"_

Curiosity filled the young women as they crowded around Chie again.

_"Ahahaha, THIS. IS. FUUUUKKKAAAA!" Mai laughed madly then screamed out a famous quote from a certain movie. She gave a roundhouse kick to a man who neared her. _

_"THERE WILL BE NO ONE LEFT ALIVE!" She screeched._

As the video shook from the chaos, the women made out the Haruka's sleeping figure, seemingly oblivious to the fight that broke out.

_The orange-head continued to squeal as she took down her attackers. Bodies began to pile, and she happily stepped on them. "HAHAH, I DECLARE THIS A NEW LAND! FIRST RULE: I **AM** THE RULE! ONLY I GET TO SING AT A KARAOKE!" Mai hollered at no one in particular. Everyone save the brave recorder was unconscious, KO-ed by the former HiME._

Then, the author seemed to run off with his phone, knowing he caught the gaze of a feral orange-head. The video blackened abruptly. Sweat-dropping, Natsuki was about to make a remark, but Mai gave her 'the look'.

"Anyone… if anyone says anything about this, I'm going to END them." The orange-head threatened.

"Oh, Mai-san that is simply nothing to be worried about. My body count is in fact much higher." Shizuru commented lightly.

The biker swerved her head in surprise towards her lover.

_Oh… right. The HiME Carnival. Sometimes I forget Shizuru went full yandere and took care of First District for me._

"Sheesh, what started all this? From the last video, I thought you two were having fun." Midori had been madly shoving popcorn into her mouth. Now she was busy dusting the kernels off of her hero-attire.

"Don't tie me to this, I was weeping." The blonde countered evenly. She was quickly followed by Yukino stating, "It's sleeping, Haruka-chan."

"That's what I said!"

"Maybe we should visit this place." Aoi suggested.

"Yeah, we might be able to find clues as to where—" Natsuki sneezed. It was the darn cats again. She growled and chased one away before she cleared her throat. "We might be able to find out where Yukariko-sensei and Yuuki are."

_ x_

"Oh, my pretties, how nice of you to grace my little shop again!" The shop owner rubbed her hands greedily and gave a thick-lipped smile, grinning with a mouth full of pearly teeth.

The gang decided to collect evidence at the rap event. However, on their way they came across a store, which seemed oddly familiar to all of them. Agreeing to step inside, the shop owner immediately recognized them.

The girls returned hesitant greetings before agreeing to split up to check the shop. The place was filled with a variety of items ranging from weirdly fun to plainly indecent.

In one corner, Yukino was shocked stiff as a familiar elongated object stared at her. In another, Midori chirped. "Hey, this looks like what I'm wearing! Cool, I was missing this!"

Choosing to remain near the register, Natsuki decided to question the owner. "Uh, do you happen to remember what we bought last night?"

"Oh, you are the bold baby who bought that kinky leather suit. You put it on… just right there!" The woman cooed back at her, pointing at a spot, which was directly next to the register.

Immediately, Natsuki flushed. Disregarding where her drunk-self chose to put on the suit, she did recall wearing the black-leathers. A part of her wondered where it went. It certainly wasn't on her when she woke up.

_Which begs the question… WHY WAS I ONLY IN MY LINGERIE WHEN I WOKE UP?!_

Then, on cue, there was a sharp pain to her left butt cheek again.

_AND WHY DO I HAVE A TATTOO ON MY ASS?!_

Coughing, she repeated her question. "Um, yeah… that was me, I think. So, do you know what else we bought?"

"Oh… you have bad memory? Oh no, simply no good. Don't worry; this lady here remembers your good purchases." She gave a toothy grin.

Natsuki returned an awkward smile, her lips twitching in annoyance. Her lengthy tresses hid a flexing vein. The shop owner disappeared as she squatted behind the counter. A few seconds later, she reappeared with a booklet.

Licking a puffy finger, she flipped through the pages. "Ah-ah-ah… December 19th… Here, we go…"

By now the rest of the group had returned to the front of the shop.

"Oh, goody, your friends returned. You." A fat digit pointed at Yukino. The owner wriggled her eyebrows knowingly. "Long toy, you bought, yeah? Did it come to good use last night?"

Yukino stepped back nervously and dipped her head in embarrassment. Haruka stepped in front of her girlfriend protectively. However, the old woman ignored the gesture and was now pointing at Midori and then to Natsuki.

"You, weird pink-ranger outfit. You're even still wearing it! And you, leather bike suit. Oh ho, good customers, all of you are."

Then, the owner glanced around. She pursed her lips and studied each woman. "No no, the sister is gone. She bought the book."

Shizuru questioned politely. "Do you recall the title of the book?"

The old woman waved at her. "Of course, of course, I do. That book on satanic practices, she called it, hohoho. It's simply a book on knots, my dearies."

_… Knots?_

"Okay, thank you for telling us. Have a nice day." The tea-drinking woman bowed and ushered the group outside the shop. Midori was the last to step out, carrying a replacement ranger helmet to complete her outfit.

Now a ways from the shop, Mai repeated the shop owner's words. "Yukariko-sensei bought a book…"

"On satanic practices," Natsuki finished evenly.

"Or it could be a book on 'knots'." Chie wriggled her eyebrows meaningfully like the shop owner.

_Again, what's with knots? I don't get it… why does it seem like everyone else does? Gosh, it even looks like Mikoto understands._

"Mou, Chie-chan!" Aoi remarked lightly.

"Chie-chan! You'll influence, Mikoto." Mai reprimanded. Mikoto just gave them a blank stare and picked up one of the cats, who had already found the group as they exited the shop, giving her a good stroke. The cat purred in her arms.

The blonde was voiced her thoughts to Yukino in a whisper as the group continued to bicker. People often thought of her to be loud and insensitive—not that she cared enough to prove them wrong—but she was actually quite perceptive. Malapropism aside, she _was_ the heiress to a billion dollar corporation. "Yukino… if you wanted to try something new, I would never oppose it."

Yukino looked up nervously from her bag. Swiftly, she pulled on the zipper, attempting to hide the object from view. Pushing up her glasses, she saw herself reflected in those clear purple orbs. "No, Haruka-chan. I… um, I don't mind either. But…" She rubbed her hands together before taking the blonde's hands into her own, holding them gently. "I don't think that was me…" She sighed. "Midori-chan always finds ways to make an event _exciting_."

Haruka gave her lover a wry smile before pulling Yukino in a bear hug, displaying her level of affection through the strength of her embrace. Seemingly used to the action, the introvert simply gasped as the air was knocked out of her lungs. Then, she circled her arms and returned the hug.

_- Flashback Start -_

After being kicked out of the bar, the women had walked in a stupor. At times, they giggled madly (save for our ever graceful kaichou). Hooking their arms, they kicked their legs in the air and danced to weird whistles and tunes. Our biker was still oblivious to her exposure was singing happily off-key in her lingerie-clad form.

Soon, they came across a certain store. Driven by curiosity and instinct, the women agreed to go in. Moments later, Natsuki was dressed in black-leather suit, which covered her from neck to ankle. Midori had also bought an outfit: a pink power ranger suit. Yukariko hopped outside with a thick book in her hand. Lastly, Yukino joined the group with what appeared to a thick white glowing curvy nightstick from far away.

"I miss Gakuten-O, but this will do for now! Muahahah, evil-doers beware. Pink Ranger, Sugiura Midori, eternal 17 year old, is here to deliver justice!" The spandex-clad woman guffawed with a hand holding onto her ranger helmet.

Suddenly, as if on cue, an elderly scream sounded in the distance. As the gang swerved their heads towards the source of the sound, Midori had already taken off, letting go of her helmet in the process. Seconds later, feeling an adrenaline rush, Aoi took off as well, following the pink ranger. The rest of them glanced at one another and decided to wait. A minute passed by until they forgot why they were standing there. Shrugging, they nonchalantly walked away.

**In another place…**

"Come back here, miscreants! Give the good woman back her purse!" Midori hollered as she chased the thieves. Due to years of traveling and working as a field archaeologist (plus being an ex-HiME), the woman was more than fit. Leaping in long strides, she looked to her side. Judging the small alleyway to be a shortcut, she darted into it. Vaulting over a shoddy fence, she hopped over trashcans. However, when she came out of the alleyway, she realized she had miscalculated the robbers' speed. She was still behind the thieving pair. Yet, she smirked. She could make the distance.

"THERE WILL BE JUSTICE, YOU HEAR?!" Launching into a new sprint, Midori continued her chase. Finally, as she neared the pair, she jumped off both feet.

"DOUBLE FALCON KICK!" The pink ranger screamed as she shot her legs into one of the men's back, causing him to tumble into his partner.

She got up and stood in a wide stance, pointing a finger towards the sky. "JUSTICE prevails!"

"Stop, police!" An officer called from behind. Realizing the danger, Midori rushed off into the night, not waiting for the authorities to catch up.

Backing up a bit in time, Aoi had chased after Midori, hoping to help the pink ranger in catching the thieves. However, she was not as fit and was falling behind. When she had finally caught up, all she saw was a dark blob. Thinking the crouched figure was one of the crooks, she steeled her will. Running as fast as she could, she ducked her head and rammed into the figure, knocking the man over.

Quickly, she mounted him, ready to punch the daylights out of someone, who would steal from an old woman. Sadly, she was stopped by two men who pried her off. She kicked her legs madly, attempting to get away. However, tired from her exertion, sleep over came her. The last thing she felt before the darkness took her were the metallic restraints attacking her wrists with a sudden cold. Later on she would find out that she had tackled a police officer.

_- Flashback End -_

They decided to find the place where the rap battle was held the prior night. As the outlook of the buildings changed from fairly clean to slightly worn, the women started hearing hushed whispers from the civilians. At first, they thought it was because of the cats that were following them. _I mean that's just totally normal, right? Damn meow-beasts. Oh, yeah, and it's certainly not due to our local power ranger… _However, they soon realized the passing comments and the stares were directed at Tokiha Mai… AKA The Girl Who Took Down the Hood. It became blatantly clear when they reached their destination.

"ANEGO!" A teen dressed in a yellow hoody saluted as she saw the infamous orange-head in the distance. Other people stopped in their tracks and blurted similar greetings.

_… Really?_

Mai smacked her forehead with a hand and sighed, shaking her head.

"Mai, I think… they just made you their new turf boss…" Natsuki stated the obvious.

"Does this area require the Midori Fist of Justice…? That's copyright, by the way." Midori's words were slightly muffled by the helmet she had now donned. It was emblazoned in a pink similar to her outfit with the top of the headgear curving into slight points, granting it with a feminine touch. She motioned into a pose, spreading her arms out and flicking a foot forward in a tentative kick. "Hiiii-YAH!"

Ignoring the ex-HiME teacher, the women urged Mai to question the teen, nudging the cook with an elbow or five.

"Okay, okay, I got it! OW!" Rubbing her side, Mai walked up to the teen.

As her best friend talked with the hooded girl, Natsuki's gaze traveled to her lover, noting how Shizuru picked up a stray kitten and was stroking its back. The brunette was laughing softly as the feline licked her lithesome digits. A slender alabaster hand went to tickle the cat's chin, earning a lazy purr.

"I didn't know you like cats, Shizuru." Natsuki stated calmly through the slight aching in her heart.

"Ara, is Natsuki jealous?" The tawny-haired woman lifted a paw, waving it at her girlfriend. "Mou, should I be worried that my lover is so possessive?"

"Wha-what? I'm not jealous! Or possessive!" Natsuki scoffed, crossing her arms. Out of the corner of her eye, she kept stealing glances as Shizuru continued to shower the cat with affection. _Stupid furry thing… it should be me she's doing that to! … Gah! What am I thinking? It's just like Shizuru said now! I'm not jealous of a stupid cat. Stupid stupid cat… She's mine… And I'm hers… _

The biker was unknowingly pouting.

"As much as this amuses me, I think our 'feline' problem is starting to get a bit out of 'line'." Chie stated with a grin. She brushed it off when no one laughed at her awesome pun.

"You believe this has something to do with last night, too?" Yukino asked.

"Well it's certainly weird for a herd of cats to be following us." Aoi remarked.

"Actually, the correct term is a clowder. A clowder of cats. Like crikey! What a beauty, it's a clowder of kittens!" Midori performed an impression of a famous Australian.

"I remember Jii saying it could also be called a glaring, yup." Mikoto supplied, grinning from ear to ear as she played with the glaring of cats. The two-handed sword bearer appeared calmer and more mature than usual, soothed by the presence of the cute animals.

"I don't care if it's a chowder or a bearing. We need to find Yukariko-sensei and Yuuki Nao." Haruka stated seriously.

"I'm sure they're doing fine." Natsuki stated confidently. The missing pair was ex-HiME after all. She cast a glance at Mai who was making animated gestures at the gathering circle. _Okay, I have a bad feeling about this._

A few minutes later…

"Noooooo, but I'm going to become a rapper! Singing is my calling in life!" Mai whined as the girls pulled her away.

_ x_

There was a scratchy hum from the radio, which was currently projecting the recent news. However, the noise from its old speakers was easily drowned out by the girls squealing at the adorable animals inside the pet shop. The owner appeared clearly irritated as he strained to hear about a mafia shootout, which occurred the prior night.

"Oh, look Chie-chan, it's rabbit. Awww…" Aoi yanked on her girlfriend's arm, tugging on her sleeves.

"It's cute, but not as cute as you." Chie flirted, earning a blush from her lover and a light slap on the shoulder.

"Mai, Mai, it's a cat!" Midori pointed at the glass, which held a Scottish Fold that sat lazily on his butt, staring wide-eyed at the onlookers. Mai smiled and joined her lover in admiring the awesome presentation of the cat sitting in what was known as the Buddha Position.

"Ara, Natsuki, look. This puppy has your eyes." Shizuru commented lightly.

"Eh, really?" Natsuki was confused. _I don't get it… the dog has brown eyes._

Overhearing the comment, Midori guffawed. This was followed by Yukino who was trying to not smile in the background. Oblivious to nuances, Haruka added the final blow. "The bubuzuke onna is right. Look Yukino, she pouts just like Kuga."

"Hey, I don't pout!" Natsuki protested, reddening. "Mou, I don't pout. Right Shizuru?" Emerald green irises twinkled with a watery look to them. The brunette held back the need to place a hand over her chest as her heart skipped a beat.

"Kannin na Natsuki." Shizuru apologized, betraying the blunette.

"Natsuki, you're kinda doing it right now." Mai gently remarked.

Realizing her lips were a bit pursed, and her cheeks were puffed, Natsuki quickly changed her demeanor back to a stoic one. "Fine, point taken. It'll never happen again." She said coolly.

"But that's like taking away your only good point." Midori whined. _Wow, Midori, thanks for thinking so highly of me._

"Don't worry about it; she won't be able to keep it up." Chie added.

"I'm standing right here, you know." The biker said in annoyance.

"Well, you guys keep that up. I need to use the lady's room." The raven-haired camera woman waved at the shop keeper. "Hey, shop owner-san, where's the toilet?" The man replied with a jerk of a thumb towards a door, which supposedly led to the restrooms.

Escaping the group, Chie sighed as she entered the one-person room, locking the door behind her. The click that sounded was strangely loud to her ears as she wiped the grin off of her features. Looking at her reflection, a troubled face stared back at her.

_- Flashback Start -_

"Don't worry, big guy, I'll get you out of here." Chie smiled reassuringly at the panda, which was locked up in a cage.

Minutes earlier, she had separated from the group after they had left Mai and Haruka to continue their rap/dance battles. As she walked with them, she had noticed a strange noise in one of the wide alleyways. Noting the large truck and driven by curiosity, she decided to sneak away and snoop around.

It was from the soft whining that allowed her to discover the caged animal.

'Shouldn't this be illegal? I thought pandas were endangered.'

Trusting her gut, Chie freed the panda and decided to take it back to the villa. "Come on, let's go my furry fella. I think I know where they may serve bamboo leaves."

_- Flashback End –_

The raven-haired girl stepped back into the shop area, and avoided Shizuru's knowing smile. Chie watched the shop owner, feeling a bit of anger rushing into her bloodstream.

"Good, you're back. Now let's go." Natsuki said, wanting to be done with the place already. As the women exited, Natsuki gave the brown-eyed puppy one last look.

Moments later, the gang had ventured into a park. Their features were sullen as they took a break near the vending machines, realizing they had reached a dead end to their investigation.

"The pet shop didn't give us any clues. We're out of leads." Natsuki stated sadly.

"And the Mai-homies didn't have anything for us either." Chie remarked. When no one laughed at her intended pun, she mentally scratched the phrase off of her list of good jokes.

"And we don't even know why these cats are following us." Mai exclaimed in a frustrated manner. By now it was clear that the cats were actually following Mikoto. Despite it being cute at first, it was starting to worry the orange-head. "Oh gosh, do you think it has something to with that demon sacrifice thing Yukariko-sensei bought?"

"I thought Yukariko-sensei had purchased a novel on satanic practices." Haruka said—a bit confused as to what the faithful servant of God actually bought.

Mikoto responded reassuringly as she picked up another kitten to stroke it. "It's fine, Mai. They aren't doing any harm."

"There doesn't appear to be any apparent danger from these cats." Yukino added.

"I mean when have you _ever_ heard of someone's cause of death to be 'death… by kittens'." Midori moved a hand in the air sideways, miming the impossible headline.

"I wouldn't be surprised if we became the first." Chie spoke louder than usual to overpower the meowing in the background.

"Do you think we should alert the authorities?" Aoi brought up in a small voice, returning the group to the serious subject.

Natsuki listened in silence. Twisting the cap off her soft drink, she took giant gulps as she lowered herself to the seat next to Shizuru, grimacing from the pain caused by the recent tattoo.

"Natsuki are you alright?" Shizuru asked worriedly. She offered a hand, which Natsuki naturally took. They interlaced their fingers.

"I'm fine. I'm just worried about the others." The biker drew idle circles on the back of a slender hand with her index finger.

"You were always a kind and caring person despite that nonchalant face you always show to others." The older woman teased. Then, she frowned. "Kannin na Natsuki. This wouldn't have happened if I didn't invite you all to this island."

"Hey, you have nothing to apologize for." Natsuki stated sincerely. "It's actually fun, you know. I haven't spent time with everyone like this for a long time."

The biker handed Shizuru her soft drink, completely aware it would be an indirect kiss. She chuckled inwardly. _A year ago I would've been a blushing mess if that happened... Not that I would even realize it in the first place… _

"Hmm, why are you smiling?" The brunette asked softly after taking a sip.

Arching a brow, Natsuki said playfully. "Huh, now why should I have to tell you?"

"Mou, Natsuki ikezu." Shizuru graced her with a traditional response.

The pair reveled in the short moment, both of them wishing for the same thing at that time—that there would always be these short moments… that they'd always find happiness in the midst of any struggle.

Indeed that moment was short lived as a cat pounced onto Natsuki's lap, causing the biker to balk. She swatted the adorable beast away with a growl. Then, she patted onto her denim shorts, a deft hand rubbing against porcelain skin as she crossed a leg over another, attempting to rid herself of the cat-germs on her thighs.

Wine-red globes noted something particular in that instant. In soft Kyoto-ben she voiced her observation. "There's some mud encrusted in the grooves of your sneakers, Natsuki."

"Eh?" Natsuki bent forward and tilted her shoe, so she could see the sole. There were bits of dried leaves besides the dirt. She could not recall a location that they've been to which would attract such things. Then, after a spark, she realized the implication.

"Hey, everyone! I think I know where to go next."

_ x_

"Nao! Yukariko-sensei!" Natsuki called out loudly. Sweat perspired on her forehead in which she wiped away with the back of her hand. It was humid in the tropical forest.

They had been searching for an hour now, having dispersed into a sparse formation to cover more ground.

"I think I hear something!" Mikoto called out. She sniffed air. "It's Nao!" _Mikoto, just what kind of animal are you? _Then, she bounded away on all fours. The other women quickly followed her.

They were stunned when they arrived at the scene.

Scraps of familiar cloth were tied into a makeshift rope, binding the poor pink-head. In something known as a 'turtle bind' or kikkou shibari, which none of the girls would admit to knowing, the confines had wrapped around the young woman tightly, squeezing out flesh and highlighting parts that caused many of them to blush. The former delinquent was also gagged with a white sock.

Nao was squirming as she let out a muffled cry, her light verdant irises widening at the sight of her friends. She wriggled some more and voiced words which were projected in a garbled mess. However, besides the noises of the tropical forest and Nao's yelping, it was strangely silent.

"Bwheh." Came the first response. Then, the girls broke up in laughter. Natsuki pointed a finger at Nao as she did so.

"OH MY GOD, AHAHAHHA!" None of them could stop laughing at the squirming Nao.

Five minutes later…

"HAHAHAA, OH MY SIDE HURTS, HAHAHHAA!"

"THIS IS THE BEST THING HAHAA SINCE SLICED CHEESE!"

Another couple of minutes later…

"No, stop Chie-chan, it's rude to… HAHAHAHA, sorry, haha, Nao-chan!" Aoi giggled at her former roommate.

"Fufu, ara Natsuki… we should untie Yuuki-san… soon." Shizuru chortled.

"No, no, wait, hahaha, let me… -laughs- take some photos first." Chie attempted to place Nao within the viewfinder. She stayed quiet for a second before she burst into laughter again, howling at the scene. "Hahaha, I can't even take a photo."

Yukino wiped tears from the corner of her ears. Mai and Haruka were still clutching onto their sides, doubled up in mirthful giggles. Midori was rolling on the floor.

And then finally…

"Dammit I hate all of you. I hate you. You. You. And you. AND ALL OF YOU!" Nao screamed at the women. She rubbed her wrist as she glared at them.

"Hey, Yuuki, be grateful we, haha, even saved you." Natsuki remarked.

"We were actually laughing with you… and not at you." Midori shrugged.

"Usually Nao does the tying, umu." Mikoto added.

The comment caused the girls (save the victim) to burst into another fit of giggles. It was truly ironic to see the ex-HiME being the one bound up instead.

"Yeah, go ahead. Make fun of the girl who got tied up the whole night!" Nao said bitterly.

"Nao… we were worried about you." Mai said gently.

"Wow, it certainly seemed like it WHEN YOU ALL LAUGHED AT ME FOR LIKE FOREVER!" An angry Nao replied.

"Hey, what's funny is funny. And you, my friend, were very funny." Chie said lightly.

"Chie-chan! Nao-chan, we're sorry. It was just so unexpected."

"We couldn't find you at the villa." Yukino added.

"Do you remember anything about last night? What about Yukariko-sensei?" Haruka questioned.

Dropping the matter for now, Nao stood up and brushed the dirt off of her shoulders. "What? You mean that nun isn't with you? Ugh, what's with this stupid hangover? My head hurts like hell." The slender girl with hot pink hair rubbed her temples; she raised a brow at the helmeted woman in the spandex suit. "And what's with Midori's stupid getup?"

_I guess it wasn't hard to figure out who was in it…_

"Hey, this is my hero suit! Give the pink some respect! You have pink hair, too!" Midori exclaimed.

"Yeah, cry me a river, Miss Tights. You… are wayyyyy too old for that." Nao commented.

Before the ranger could counter back saying something like 'Hey, I'm only 17', Natsuki interjected, picking up a piece of cloth and studying it. "This rope that was used to tie Yuuki…"

"Ara, isn't this part of Yukariko-sensei's clothing?" Shizuru provided.

Understanding the meaning, Nao stomped on the forest floors. "This was the nun's doing?!"

"Come on, sensei shouldn't be too far away if she's left Nao here."

"How do you know?" Aoi asked.

"Well, my love, usually one doesn't leave their ritual sacrifices too far away from them." Chie pointed out.

"I—WHAT?!"

"Now, now, Nao-chan. I'm sure sensei wasn't going to sacrifice you to a satanic god; she's a woman of faith." Mai tried to reassure the younger woman.

"SATANIC WHAT?!" Light green eyes widened to the size of saucers.

"But the shop owner said it was a simple book on knots." Haruka mentioned lightly.

"SHE USED ME FOR BONDAGE PRACTICE?!" Nao hollered.

"Language, Nao-chan! You're giving Mikoto bad influence!" Mai clasped her hands over Mikoto's ears.

"OH SHE IS SO DEAD!"

_ x_

"Anou…" Mai was at a loss for words.

"Ara, is that a 'dying message'?"

"Shizuru!"

A bit further away from the bondage site, the group had discovered an open area. In the midst was the nun. Gone was her usual style of modest dressing. Instead it was replaced by gothic clothing; her shirt had shoulder pads decorated with shiny spikes, and her pants were simply many zippers strewn together. The woman's features were striped with thick strokes of red. She was lying unconscious inside some kind of circular hieroglyphics. In her hand was a can of spray paint. In another held a bound novel.

"I believe that's a magic circle." Midori gave her words of wisdom.

"Yeah, no shit, Sherlock." Nao stepped closer to the unconscious nun, giving her a light kick. The sleeping woman stirred and groaned. "God… bless you."

Lime orbs stared intensely at the gothic woman of faith. Sighing, Nao plopped her bottom onto the dirt floors. With a hand she gently shook the older woman, ignoring the flash of a camera from the background.

The group gave the raven-haired woman an even stare.

"What? I'm a scribe to the group's wonderful memories of this trip. It is my sworn duty to make sure everyone remembers this in the future!" The camera woman said defensively.

_ x_

"Oh… why do I have this immense aching to my head? Is this a sign from God?" Yukariko groaned as she awoke. Clutching her head, she made out blurry blobs in front of her. Blinking some more she made out the figures of her young (and one not-so-young) friends.

"Yukariko-sensei!" The girls screamed and neared her. "Are you okay?"

"Oh, yes, goodness, I'm fine save for this horrible headache." The follower of God was confused by the excessive worry shown on the girls' features. "Is something the matter?"

Nao was now standing up, lifting a strand of hair in disgust and severely wishing she could take a shower. Reaching for a mirror in her back pocket, she tossed the item towards the sister.

A wail echoed throughout the forest seconds later.

"Oh ho ho ho, how could I've been dressed like this? Who would do such a horrible thing and draw me like one of their French girls?!" The short-haired blonde questioned no one in particular. She lifted her gaze towards the sky and was in prayer.

_I'm not sure that's the right expression…_

"Oh forgive me, Great Lord, for I have sinned!"

"Sorry to break it to you, but your attire is the least of your worries."

Natsuki pursed her lips for a moment. Then, in a single breath she relayed the story, firing the words quickly. "You apparently bought a book on satanic practices—or knots; we're not really sure until you show us that book in your hand. And then we believe you tied up Yuuki to use her in some kind of ritual sacrifice."

Shizuru gave her a pat on the back.

The good nun was flabbergasted. She sounded dramatically hurt. "Oh, I would never!"

"Yukariko-sensei… uh, you should look at what you're sitting on." Mai suggested gently.

Another wail sounded through the forest.

"Just be glad I haven't tied you up like you did to me." Nao stated simply. Before the nun could let out another cry to kill all the cells in their eardrums, Aoi interjected.

"Could you show us what's in that novel?" Aoi asked. The short-haired blonde lifted her arms as if Aoi was going to cuff her for… whatever crimes she may have committed.

Haruka huffed at the sobbing mess. Striding up to the woman, she peeled the novel off of her hands. Then, she flipped through it, casting nonchalant glances. However, as the pages flew by, so did her look of nonchalance. By the end of it she was as red as a tomato. Spluttering, she tossed the book towards Yukino. "Bwaah, my eyes are mourning!"

"It's burning, Haruka-chan… though I suppose mourning would work." The secretary blushed a likewise red when she flipped though the novel. Steam came out of her ears, and she shortly ceased to function.

Sensing a need to stop this blushing epidemic, the kaichou stepped forward and took the bound book from her secretary. Tentatively opening the pages, she stared intently. Then, she definitively closed the book. "This appears to be filled with misinformed practices. I assure you, Yukariko-sensei that this is nothing but a book of indecent pranks."

The sister seemed a bit brighter from the news, though her features were still downcast. _Well, she did vandalize a forest… not that I know if there's anything in the bible that says' thou shall not color the forest with vibrant artificial ink'._

She looked towards her young pupil. "Yuuki-san would you ever forgive me for almost sacrificing you?"

…

Nao scratched the back of her head fiercely. Then, she grunted. "Argh, whatever. It's not like you actually did it on purpose."

"You're unexpectedly soft for once. Losing your touch, Yuuki?" Sometimes Natsuki just couldn't help but poke fun at her former rival.

"Oh, and you're such a great example? You whipped puppy!" Nao hollered.

"Hey, at least I don't look like I'm celebrating Christmas every time I stand next to my girlfriend!" Natsuki retorted.

Oh, now it's on. The pink-head was holding back earlier, but the biker pressed the wrong button. "Oh, yeah? At least I'm not the one YOLO-ing my cholesterol levels by drinking mayo like an addict!"

"Reformed delinquent!"

"You are, too!"

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

The pair growled at each other.

"Now, now." Mai tried to resolve the childish argument between the two. When the pink-head looked at her angrily, the cook smacked her forehead and shook her head.

_ x_

"How hard could it be to find the shop that sold Yukariko-sensei that stuff?"

Now outside the forest, Yukariko requested to visit the shop where she bought her clothes, hoping to shed more light on what happened last night. However, when Mikoto brought up the subject of food, the others agreed to find lunch since Yukariko and Nao have not ate anything since the prior night. As they ate, the others relayed the current situation and their findings.

"Argh fewtk ish arewnd hurr… sumwergh." Midori mumbled. She had her visor flipped up. Lifting her head, she struggled to feed the hotdog into her mouth.

_Why don't you just take the helmet off for a second, Midori? _

"What's with all the cats?" Nao asked.

"We don't know. We thought it had something to do with the book…" Mai trailed off.

"Oh would you look at that. Even the grace of God has spread to such a faraway island." Yukariko proclaimed as she elegantly held onto her hotdog. She noted an old church down the end of the street. "It would be so great to visit the church here before we go."

Chie placed the old building within her view finder. Snapping an image, she supported the decision. "Yeah, I think some of us need it."

Aoi sighed. The good natured girl was still a bit depressed.

Yukino appeared hesitant for a moment. Haruka had already consumed five hotdogs and was going for a sixth. However, that did not beat Mikoto, who was simply inhaling over a hundred of them. Mai was gently telling her girlfriend to eat slower. Natsuki was blushing as Shizuru tried to feed the young woman.

"Ara, maybe we can find out why I was in that wedding gown, na, Natsuki?"

Suddenly choking on her food, Natsuki nodded dumbly as Shizuru stroked her back.

_ x_

"Oh, it is so good to see you again! You forgot your marriage registration papers yesterday." A middle aged man with a tall cap and white robes, decorated with shiny purple streaks, spoke to the young woman.

Yukino stared bug-eyed. "M-m-me?!" She pointed at herself. Haruka stood in shock.

"Yes, yes. Oh, where is your husband? Sir Wank-a-Lot was it? You two make such a lovely couple." The cheery man complimented.

Nao burst out in a fit of snickers. "Are you serious? You married someone named Sir Wank-a-Lot?! Hahaha, oh God."

"No, no. Mrs. Wank-a-Lot married an elongated sex toy." The man replied somberly.

Midori was doubled over in laughter. "Hahaha, I don't know what's worst, being Mrs. Wank-a-Lot…"

Chie finished for her. "Or marrying a dildo!" Aoi was too busy laughing to rein in her girlfriend.

Nao howled. "I can't believe she named it Sir Wank-a-Lot."

At this, Yukino's features were livid with a pallor of ghostly white. She clutched onto her handbag. Unfortunately, she accidentally pressed a button on the hidden toy. "Bollocks." A male voice with a British accent sounded through the device.

This caused the women to triple their efforts in their sniggering fit. Mai was struggling to cover Mikoto's ears as she became a laughing mess. Even Shizuru was hiding her chuckles inside an elegantly uplifted fist.

Clearing her throat, Natsuki questioned the priest. "Ahaha, eh hem. Um… could you tell us more about last night?"

The shoddy priest retold the story. Apparently, Yukino came to his church yesterday night upon seeing the neon advertisement for 'marry within 5 minutes!' Waving the glow-in-the-dark dildo, she had requested to be forever bound in matrimony with a 'Sir Wank-a-Lot'. And… as advertised, five minutes later Yukino was walking out the door, newly wed to the inanimate object.

Needless to say, after calming down her hyperventilating girlfriend, Haruka threatened the priest to undo everything. Another five minutes later, the priest divorced the recently married pair (with the lack of protest from the elongated sex-toy… maybe 'he' didn't want to be married either).

Now sitting scattered in the rows of benches, the women were thoroughly exhausted from laughing and dealing with the day's events.

Glancing down and fiddling with her Nikon, Chie played with a few buttons. She plucked a cleaning cloth and was cleaning her lens. Sweeping her gaze, she noted her friends were preoccupied. Standing up, she casually made her way inside the confessional.

Plopping down the wooden seats, Chie interlaced her fingers. Someone on the other side spoke with an awkward intonation to their voice. However, the camera woman ignored it.

"What troubles you, my child?"

…

"I, um… I don't know if this will even help…"

"The only one who could help you is yourself, my dear. However, God will be your guiding light and lead you down the right path." The scratchy voice mumbled.

Inhaling a breath, Chie began to tell the 'Father' her story.

A few minutes later, Nao came staggering out, clutching onto her sides. "Oh God, you guys have to hear this."

Chie came rushing out after her, yelling curses at the pink-head. "How dare you trick me, Nao-kun!"

"Is it true there's a panda inside our place, right now?" Nao questioned through a fit of giggles. Not waiting for an answer, she jerked a thumb at the raven-head. "Yours truly over there jacked that animal while she was smashed last night."

"Chie-chan?" Aoi asked worriedly, wondering if girlfriend was going to be thrown in a penal institution.

"Ara, before we accuse Harada-san of any crimes, let's hear her side of the story." Shizuru stated calmly.

Sighing, Chie retold her memories of the prior night.

"I don't see what she did wrong," Natsuki concluded.

"That's actually a fine damnation of morals." Haruka agreed.

"It's demonstration, Haruka-chan. But yes, that was actually a very admirable act."

Aoi embraced her lover and pecked her cheek. "You're like a knight." This caused Chie to blush.

Midori crossed her arms. "Indeed this young hero performed a great justice, ripping the Ailuropoda melanoleuca from the evil clutches of an illegal shop owner! Bawahahah!"

"Cheh, we should tie up the bastard and teach him a lesson." Nao suggested.

Flipping her phone shut, Shizuru responded. "It's already done. I'm having my people investigate the matter and arrest the horrible man for his crimes."

Likewise, Mai had ended a conversation with someone on her cellphone. "Guys, my people just told me they found the shop where Yukariko-sensei bought her clothes and the spray paint."

_Your people…?_

_… Right, gang leader. So, would it be called Mai-Gang?_

_ x_

When the group had arrived at the location, they discovered that the area was surrounded by police and closed off with yellow tape. Some of the authorities were questioning a few people, while others were inspecting the damage. Bullet holes riveted into parked vehicles and trash was tossed aside everywhere.

"Goodness… such devastation!" Yukariko brought up her hands in prayer.

"Uh, Mai, you didn't order 'your people' to do this, did you?" Nao asked hesitantly.

The said woman shook her head. "No, of course not."

Mikoto sniffed the air. "Mai's innocent. The scent is old."

"Let me le-go and ask one of my fellow brethren of justice." Midori attempted to step near the scene but was immediately yanked back by Chie and Aoi.

"I'll go see what happened." Natsuki nodded at Shizuru. The biker lightly jogged over to an officer whom she judged would divulge the details.

A few minutes later, the navy-haired girl explained the situation to the group. The authorities suspect there was a shootout at the location yesterday, involving some big-shot international mafia.

"You know… strangely I feel like we're about to fall into another flashback." Natsuki commented, her feminine brows knitting together.

"Well, just to be sure to tell the rest of us the juicy details when you guys are back." Chie quipped.

_- Flashback Start -_

No one had noticed when the spiky black-head had disappeared. At the moment, Mikoto was in an alley as many glowing eyes watched her in the darkness. Growling on all fours, she hissed at them. It was epic feline turf wars time.

**In another place…**

Natsuki was bopping a bag of marshmallows in her hand. Grinning like a kid, she waited for Shizuru to start the campfire.

"I don't think I've ever had these before," Natsuki said as she sat down on a rock. Unlike her delusional self earlier, the biker had now reached the somber stage of her drunkenness. She recalled her lacking childhood and smiled wryly as the embers kicked into life, crackling as the fire grew. Through green orbs, she watched as the lights from the flickering fire danced on Shizuru's features, casting the woman in a warm glow.

Spearing the fluffy treats onto the ends of sticks, she handed them out to her friends. A part of her mind was nagging her about something, but she ignored it for now.

"Another reason to do so now, Natsuki." Shizuru replied as she took one of the sticks from Natsuki. Sitting down next to her, she held the marshmallow over the fire. She twisted the stick, wanting to evenly heat up her treat.

The smell of burnt sugar soon wafted into their noses. Tentatively, the biker gestured her stick towards the older woman. "H-here."

Despite having her own to eat, Shizuru did not refuse the offer. Lips tugged into a mischievous smile, she gazed deeply into emerald irises. Then, tucking a strand of tawny tresses behind an ear, she lowered her head and took a small but messy bite.

Purposefully, she allowed the white treat to stick to her lips. A carmine tongue darted out and gradually licked off the excess. When that did not work, she brought a lithe finger to her supple lips.

Rubbing them softly, she gathered the leftover marshmallow on her index finger. Then, with ruby eyes twinkling, she parted her lips and inserted the digit into her mouth, suckling softly. As the cleansed finger was taken of her mouth with a pop, she allowed a sensual moan to escape, smiling seductively as she watched the reaction it brought to her girlfriend.

However, instead of the usual blush-fest, Natsuki was smiling gently. Her demeanor was as though she was recalling a memory, slightly wistful and slightly lonesome. Moving her stick away from Shizuru's torso, Natsuki bent forward. Cupping a hand onto a porcelain cheek, she whispered.

"You still have some left on you."

Then, she placed a chaste kiss on those bouncy salmon-pink lips. There was a softness in the action that almost made her melt. Soon, she deepened the action, biting the bottom lip tenderly. She gave it a small tug. Then, her tongue peeked out and shyly tasted the sugary sweetness left on the flesh.

When she felt Shizuru automatically respond in kind, she grinned.

However, the spell was broken by a certain plastered pink-head.

"Stop hitting me!" Nao screeched. The said girl was flailing her arms wildly, defending herself from a certain nun's attack.

"Hurry, we must hold her down! There is a spirit inside her body! We must cleanse her soul before she turns into an Orphan!" Yukariko called out desperately.

"You're the one who needs to be held down, you mean mean nun!" Nao spoke childishly, dodging the blonde as she tried to ram into her.

The pair of ex-HiME lovers immediately scrambled over towards the fighting pair.

Natsuki stated to Shizuru. "It's the Martians! I knew they would be back! I think they've gotten Yuuki; she's acting like a child! We need to save her, Shizuru."

"You're all mean bullies!" Nao screamed.

"Fufu… but wouldn't it be more fun to watch?" Shizuru commented mildly.

"We must bind her!" The sister of faith added.

Natsuki frowned. "But we don't have any rope."

That's when the nun took off her lengthy long-sleeved dress and began to tear it up into pieces.

Blushing, Natsuki turned her head away from the eldest woman. "Gah, what are you doing, sensei?!"

"Making rope! We've got no time to lose! The evil souls from the demon world are about to pour in. They'll use Nao-chan as a catalyst!" The nun said as she tied the strips together.

"Shizuru! Capture Nao!" The biker commanded.

A few minutes later, Nao was a bawling mess. She was being held down by the pair of ex-HiME lovers. "You're all big meanies. Waahhh, I'm going to tell the teachers you hurt me." The pink-head cried.

"According to this scripture from God, we must bind her in a special way! Hold her while I bless these sacred chains." The blonde started to let out strings of gibberish as she lifted the make-shift rope.

"I'm sorry we have to do this, Nao." Natsuki said sullenly.

**In another place…**

Watching Shizuru and Natsuki cuddle had made Yukino feel lonely. Realizing that Haruka had somehow disappeared as well, she was dejected. Her feet carried her away from the campfire as she waved her glowing nightstick. Minutes later she was attracted to the neon lights that lit up the night with certain words. Glancing down at the lengthy sex-toy, she was suddenly determined. Perhaps it would be best to marry something that would always be with her.

_- Flashback End -_

"I hope you all go to hell." Nao said bitterly.

Natsuki sighed. "Look we're sorry…"

"I do apologize, Yuuki-san." Shizuru said.

"I'm beginning to wonder if all those crazy Christians out there are just smashed drunk." Midori ventured. "Like drinking 24/7… not telling what's reality… suddenly stripping and tying up people… threatening demonic holocausts…"

"Goodness, I feel that I should return to the church and pray. I need to ask the lord for his forgiveness." Yukariko said worriedly.

The pink-head remained silent but glared at the oblivious nun.

Suddenly, sensing someone was behind them, Shizuru swiveled her heels. Crimson orbs locked onto beady but dark irises. By now the other women had turned around as well.

Defensively, Natsuki questioned the man in a formally pressed suit. "Can we help you?"

There was a stinging silence before the man bowed deeply. "Please follow me, Mr. Kruger awaits."

_Oh, now what… _

The biker arched a brow. Glancing at her friends, they silently agreed to follow the man. He led them towards a wide alleyway where a black limousine was humming quietly. When the guard gestured the women in, they all swallowed an apprehensive breath and went inside, each pondering what would await them.

Thirty minutes later, Natsuki was embraced in a bone-crushing hug. Coughing and squirming in the hold, the biker protested. However, the man simply would not let go. Even Shizuru was a bit too stunned at the moment to save her lover.

"My daughter, how nice to see again! Good, you brought your friends with you. Now why don't we discuss the details of your wedding over lunch, eh?" The cheery man nodded at his servants to usher the women in.

It took a few seconds before the man's words sank in.

"DAUGHTER?!" Then, there was a short pause.

"WEDDING?!"

_- Flashback Start -_

"I don't get it… what is the magic circle going to be used for?" Natsuki asked as she clung onto Shizuru's arm. She was still a bit wary of the lights in the sky. There might be a ship somewhere out there ready to take away her love of mayo.

"I shall tear open the skies and wreak goodness into this world! All children will learn the loving embrace of GOD!" When Shizuru and Natsuki raised their eyebrows at the sister, she cleared her throat. "The magic circle, my good children, will be used to complete the cleansing ceremony used to rid Nao-chan of her illness."

"Okkkayyy…" Natsuki replied. She was beginning to feel skeptical. She turned her head towards Shizuru. "Pssstttt…"

"Yes, Natsuki?" The kaichou responded.

"Do you see anything?" The biker said in a hushed whisper. She glanced around frantically for shift-shaping shadows.

"If you're asking if I can see the buildings and the streets and the parked cars, then yes, I can, Natsuki." The tawny-haired girl said simply.

"Nooo… I mean… them… the we-we-c-come-i-in-p-p-eace!" Natsuki brought a hand to her throat and lightly smacked it as she made an impression of an alien. This caused Shizuru to chortle.

"Fufu, no, I do not see them."

"Gracious! Bless His Greatness, we're here!" The nun pointed out a shop, which remained open at the dead of the night. Without another word, she dragged her two pupils in.

The shop owner did not even bat an eye at Yukariko's lingerie clad form. A few minutes later, the sister walked out with spiky shoulder pads, some form of modern chainmail for pants, and a can of red spray paint.

"Now can we please go?" Natsuki huffed impatiently. She tapped her foot on the ground. Being in such an open area was just asking to be abducted. _That's why all those cows go missing! The farmers don't care to put them inside the barn! _

Then, suddenly there were gunshots. Mere seconds passed before cars drove by and bullets began to ricochet through the area. The women immediately ducked behind one of the vehicles.

"Natsuki, are you okay?" Shizuru grabbed onto Natsuki's upper arms, her eyes examining her lover for external injuries.

"I'm fine, Shizuru. What's going on! Oh… no… don't tell me they're HERE!" The biker almost shrieked.

"No, no, Natsuki. I think it's something else. Where's Yukariko-sensei?" The kaichou looked around and realized she was nowhere to be found.

"Uwaghhh...!" A man wailed as a bullet hit him in the chest. He fell a bit away from the couple, his gun skidding across the pavement, causing Shizuru to hug Natsuki close to her. The former-delinquent squirmed in her hold.

"Shizuru, don't worry I'll protect you! Get out of here while I cause some distraction." Natsuki said as she placed a chaste peck on her lover's lips. Then, she wriggled out of Shizuru's hold and dived for the dead man's weapon. Crimson globes dilated, and she hurried after her girlfriend.

Reaching out for the handgun, Natsuki's body hummed with adrenaline. Emerald orbs swept through the night, marking her possible enemies. That was when she noticed that the fight had been severely tipped towards one side of the scale since the beginning.

She watched as two formally dressed men shielded and pulled another man away, ducking and firing. Steeling her determination, she decided to help them. Pulling out the magazine to check how many bullets she had left, a hand expertly yanked on the slide, examining the chamber of her weapon. Then, she leapt out and pulled on the trigger.

The bullet jetted into the barrel of another gun, exploding the firearm in one of the attacker's hand. With the same deadly precision, she took out the other attackers that she could see. Calling out to the bodyguards and their apparent boss, she slid behind another vehicle as shrapnel flickered above her. "Over here! Now!"

A few cars from her lover's position, Shizuru's heart had raced when she saw what Natsuki was doing. For a moment her mind wandered as she saw that black-leather suit embrace those femininely defined curves. Looking into an alleyway that was not far from her vicinity, the gleam of a long metal bar greeted her sight. Acknowledging the coast was clear, she made her way to procure the weapon.

By now the attackers have noticed the third party intervener. The men laid concentrated fire towards the vehicle Natsuki was sheltered behind.

"Who are you?" A middle aged man asked. His hair was messy, and his musculature resembled a bear. "Why are you helping us?"

Clenching her teeth, she grunted. She knew that she had no bullets left. She stared into likewise green eyes. "Let's just say that I'm trusting my instinct."

"Get me out of here, and I'll forever remember this debt." The boss said, clutching an arm which had been hit by a bullet earlier.

The biker chose to change the subject. "Do your men have any bullets left? I'm out."

The guards shook their heads.

"Dammit. I just hope Shizuru got away." Natsuki cursed.

There became a growing silence.

Natsuki breathed heavily with trepidation; her heart was thumping in her chest. Sweat trickled down her temples as she trained her ears for any sound. It was strangely quiet.

_What happened to all the shooting?_

A street down the road, Shizuru had swung her metal bar and landed a clean hit against a man's neck. He fell limply with a gasp. 'That should be the last one of them.' She thought. Looking up, she called out tentatively. "Natsuki? Natsuki? Are you there?"

"Shizuru?!" Stepping out of her hiding spot, she saw a familiar figure in the distance—a beautiful woman lit by the natural light of the stars. Her feet carried her towards her lover. "I thought I told you to get away!"

"Ara, and miss all this fun?" The ex-HiME joked. She smiled at Natsuki. "How could I leave my important person here to fend for herself? It is in my right to protect you as well, my love."

Natsuki felt her heart absorb the genuine words. "Shizuru, I—" She was soon blinded by the headlights in the distance.

The boss yelled loudly. "Reinforcements! Hurry, I have a car waiting for us!"

Glancing at each other one last time, the pair of lovers locked her hands and ran towards their temporary comrades.

**Meanwhile…**

Yukariko had made her way back to the forest and drew the magic circle. However, curiosity took a hold of her and 'forced' her to smell the paint. She fainted shortly after.

Mikoto was hungry after her intense session of feline wars and decided to go back to the villa. Once there she ordered enough food for two life times.

Nao… was still gagged and bound, wriggling on the forest floors like a worm.

Midori was smashed inside another pub. Fellow drinkers shied away from the strange spandex-clad woman.

Aoi was simply in jail…

Mai was yet rapping in the circle, not allowing anyone else to have a turn. She waved away the growing glowers and the discontent of her 'fans'.

Haruka was… still passed out, oblivious to the growing tensions around her.

Yukino was in the midst of saying "Yes, I do."

Chie had guided the fluffy panda back to the villa. Upon finding Mikoto there, she joined in on the food munching. Oh, and she ordered raw vegetables for the panda.

_- Flashback End -_

The kaichou elegantly took a sip of the green tea. She sat comfortably, her eyes fluttering shut as she took in the aroma of the leaves, simply ignoring the scene that was unfolding before her.

"I… got adopted?" Natsuki was flabbergasted as the mafia boss recounted the story. The other women had similar reactions.

A flash from a camera momentarily blinded the biker. "Sheesh, and I thought my night was exciting." Chie said as she took more photos.

"Nope, in terms of awesome, my night was clearly over 9000." Midori interjected.

"Then, in terms of unfortunate…" Yukino sighed.

"No! Stop stop stop!" Natsuki whipped her arms like a referee. "I don't get it! I'm part of the mafia now?! WHEN?! HOW?!" _Where's the usual flashback?!_

"Ara, Natsuki I thought Mr. Kruger explained it very clearly." Shizuru said simply.

"B-but?!" _No… It's not clear! _

"Hmm, this is a problem. And the preparations for the ceremony are complete, too." Olaf Kruger stroked his chin.

"What ceremony?!" Natsuki stared around wide-eyed. She had a clue as to what it was… but the question was… with whom?!

Natsuki smacked her hand against her forehead.

"Look, I'm sure Natsuki is overwhelmed by this. Yukariko-sensei?" Mai asked the nun. "Do the thing."

"Of course." Yukariko brought her hands together and began to pray.

"Eh, I don't get this… why is she praying? How's this going to—"

_- Flashback Start -_

_YOU MEAN THAT WORKED?!_

_._

_._

_._

The Godfather grunted as one of his attendants cleansed his wound. Across from him sat his two saviors. He silently studied the pair.

"Allow me to thank you again for saving me."

Natsuki shook her head. "I didn't do it for you. I only wanted to help Shizuru get away."

The bear-like man arched a brow. "Impressive… to be selfless and to save others. Tell me, what organization are you from? I will give them my sincere thanks."

"We're not from any organization. We're simply university students who came to this island for a short vacation." Shizuru answered.

The mafia leader stared intently at the chestnut-haired woman. He knew the two had their secrets but wasn't about to pry. "Hm… regardless, I am a man who pays my debts. What do you want in return? Money? Fame? Name it."

"W-we don't want anything." Natsuki stated. "I… we… didn't do this for anything."

Then, the muscular man bellowed in laughter. Downing a shot of vodka, he gave another hearty laugh. "Oh ho, I've never met anyone like you. How about you join my family?"

Stunned, Natsuki repeated. "F-family? Like adopt me?" _Where is this headed?_

"Ah, silly me, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Olaf Kruger. I lead the Kruger Family." Masculine emerald orbs watched the light-haired woman. "Judging your lack of reaction, I suppose you've heard of us."

Shizuru dipped her head in politeness. "My humble family has done business with yours in the past. I'm Shizuru Fujino."

Following her lover's lead, Natsuki introduced herself next. "And I'm Natsuki Kuga."

"Haha, then this is simply fate! A daughter of my good business partner and a young woman with a last name similar to mine! My offer stands, join my family!" Olaf grinned.

_ x_

"I don't know what in my mind made me accept his offer." Natsuki said now that the two were alone.

"Mr. Kruger wasn't about to refuse once he heard about your family situation; he was adamant about accepting you as his adoptive daughter." Shizuru replied.

"Are all mafia bosses like this?" The biker shuddered at the thought. Earlier Olaf had given her a bear hug despite his bullet wound. She thought the man would squeeze the life out of her.

"No, I don't believe so. The Krugers honor family and selflessness. He is genuine when he… I suppose… forced you into letting him adopt you…" A brow arched as she became loss in her own words for a moment. "From what I know, Olaf is a widower who lost his wife and daughter years ago."

"Huh, so he…" Natsuki trailed off.

"Yes… maybe both of you felt a connection." Shizuru said. She looked towards the sliding door when she heard a knock. "Ara, Natsuki it's time." A hand went to grope the biker's supple bottom.

"Shizuru!"

Red eyes flickered innocently. "Kruger means potter in archaic German. The mafia's coat of arms is a pair of pistols in front of a ceramic pot. And…" Shizuru whispered the last words. "All members get their family tattoo… On. Their. Bottom." The older woman chortled at Natsuki's shocked reaction. "Because of the symmetry." She winked.

Shizuru walked out the door, allowing the artist to enter. She smiled as her ears picked up the shadows of protest that exited the room.

_- Flashback End -_

"No… that doesn't explain anything." Natsuki blushed as she pointed at the flashback above her.

"Deal with it." Midori said as she crossed her arms. "I think the author is getting tired of all of this, too."

"What are you even talking about?" The biker said exasperatedly.

That was when Mai cleared her throat; she spoke in a raspy voice. "Anyways… while I'm happy for Natsuki, if you do anything to hurt her, I won't hold back." The orange-head stated seriously to the mafia leader.

"Yup, don't hurt Natsuki, old man!" Mikoto quipped.

"Are you people seriously threatening a mafia boss?" Nao sighed. However, her expression was similar to Mai's.

"I may not know Kuga that long, but I won't stand by if she's hurt!" Haruka stated. Her words were genuine… She did confront a tank during the HiME Carnival and would not mine kicking another one again for a friend.

The man let out a vigorous laugh. "You have good friends, my daughter. Keep them close to your heart."

"Yeah… I know." Natsuki said softly.

Yukariko dabbed the corner of her eyes with a tissue. "Oh, this is so touching. To see the beginnings of a new family… It is simply wonderful. We live in such a beautiful world." Then, she began to sob. "I can't believe my student is getting married!"

"Oh… Mr. Olaf did mention a wedding earlier." Aoi said. "Who are you marrying, Natsuki-chan?"

That was when Shizuru and Natsuki gazed at one another. Emerald reflected in ruby, and red mirrored in green. They smiled as their minds unveiled the final mystery of the day.

… Or not.

"Oh, come on!" Natsuki hollered.

_- Flashback Start -_

Shizuru walked through the Japanese-esque mansion. She found the man she was looking for and sat down. The bear-like boss watched her intently and poured her a cup of tea.

"You look like you want to say something, Miss Fujino."

The woman lifted the cup and took a sip. Lowering her hands she responded calmly, yet her words were plunged with an icy coldness. "There is no need. You know what will happen to you if you hurt her."

The man laughed. "Then, simply watch her from the inside. I gave my offer to you both."

"While I appreciate the gesture, I must refuse. Pseudo-incest would not bode well for our relationship." The woman replied simply.

Olaf nodded. "I see."

Two pairs of ears heard the hurried footsteps from the hallway. The ex-HiME easily recognized the owner of those echoing footfalls. With a lithe hand, she pushed herself upright.

"However, if you still wish to repay your debt…" Crimson orbs flickered as they glanced down at the sitting Godfather. "Then, I ask that you agree to give me your daughter's hand in marriage one day."

"Huh, marriage? What are you guys talking about?" Natsuki had just entered the room and came upon the conversation. She ignored the aching on her left butt cheek. Yet, she could not help but wince each time her leather suit chafed against her tender skin.

Olaf stood up as well. "Why one day? … Why not now?"

Natsuki swerved her head left and right, confused by the situation.

_- Flashback End -_

"Mai…" Mikoto's head was swooning. She waved her hands dizzily in front of her. "There's too many flashbacks. My head is starting to hurt."

"That was barely anything! Where are all the juicy details?" Chie protested.

Midori quickly spray painted a sign and was holding it up. "Yeah, give us the details!"

"Ara, isn't this a little too private to share?" Shizuru commented.

"B-but… what about me? Everyone knows about me now…" Yukino buried her face in her hands as she began to sniffle. Haruka gently stroked her back. She had a feeling the introvert was PMS-ing. The short-haired woman was sobbing about her one-day marriage to an inanimate object.

"Just know that one of us proposed, and one of us accepted." Natsuki said with finality.

The friends returned blank stares. At that moment Chie pulled out a top hat. "So… anyone wanna place bets?"

"Five hundred yen on the kaichou." Midori dropped in a 500 yen bill.

"Hah, there's no way that bubuzuke onna would have the cleavage to ask! One thousand yen on Kuga!"

_C-cleavage? Oh, no, not this! _

"… It's courage, Haruka-chan!"

_No, you will not make me-gawahhhh, no not the image of the bikini! No, not the cream! Ahhh, the one with the ribbons is coming back. I hate you brain! Stoppit! I will not think of Shizuru's round, pointy…delicious… NO! Friggin' PINEAPPLES... ahhhhhhrgghhh!_

Natsuki was facing her inner turmoil and an army of blushes, while the rest of the gang participated in the indecent visions and perhaps an oncoming nosebleed later, the biker snapped back to her senses.

"… Hey, don't bet on us! We're not marrying for your entertainment." The navy-haired girl blushed, red reaching up to her ears. It was embarrassing to mention 'us' and 'marry' in the same sentence. Her puppy-dog eyes pleaded with Shizuru to ameliorate the situation.

"… Well if you wished to know," Shizuru began, easily gathering the women's attention.

"Mr. Kruger even managed to call for a bridal dresser… But Natsuki said she that she would like to wait for her friends… that 'it was an event that should be shared with everyone'."

This caused them to coo and d'aww all over the place.

Consumed by the power of gossip, Mai waved her finger. "Tsk tsk tsk, kaichou-san. Did you think we'd forget?"

Shizuru looked slightly surprised.

"Eh hem." The orange-head cleared her throat. "Fujino-san will you please tell us why you were wearing dog ears with your wedding gown this morning?"

Natsuki groaned. _I was hoping they'd forget that part…_

Nao silently studied her former-nemesis. Under the combined gazes, a new blush slowly reappeared on the biker's soft cheeks. "Oh my God, hahahaa?! Are you serious?!"

"What is it?" Aoi asked.

"Seriously, Kuga? You made her wear them?!" The former delinquent cackled and rolled on the floor.

Incapable of a comeback, Natsuki simply tackled Nao, growling as she did so.

_ x_

The pair of soon-to-be-wed lovers was outside, seeking refuge from their friends. Natsuki's gaze traveled to the Japanese garden; it was reminiscent of the scenery she saw at the HiME Carnival. _How far I've come… back then I would've recoiled even at the mention of love…_

"What are you thinking about, Natsuki?" A soft voice questioned.

Feeling playful, she truthfully answered. "Just wondering how much I love you." Her heart felt joy upon seeing the older woman blush. _I think I know why Shizuru teases me all the time now… she's adorable, haha._

"Mou, Natsuki…" Shizuru took a step and closed the distance between the two of them. A head of chestnut tresses fell upon a femininely toned shoulder. She breathed in the younger woman's natural scent; it was fresh akin to snow yet warm akin to spring flowers. She whispered quietly. The words were audible only to her lover's ears. "… Are you sure about this, love? It's not too late…" Her voice trailed off.

The navy-haired replied with the same tenderness. "… I wouldn't have asked if I didn't mean it. Midori's prank has nothing to do with it… just that moment…" She physically swallowed, downing her pride as she finished her corny sentence. "I knew. I simply knew."

The chestnut haired woman lifted her head. Rising on her tiptoes, she reclosed their distance. She hummed as their lips made contact. Shizuru admitted to some clichés; it felt just right, like they were made for each other. Unbeknownst to the older woman, she held her breath, too absorbed in their kiss. With a gasp, she pulled away.

Emerald irises shimmered. Natsuki watched Shizuru's expression carefully. Wine globes watched equally with fondness… and with love.

When the biker gently pushed Shizuru away, her heart skipped a frightful beat. However, it soon quickened to a joyous dance when she saw Natsuki slowly lower herself onto the wooden floors. A slender hand gently grabbed hers.

And just like that Natsuki placed a chaste kiss on her hand, close to the knuckle of her middle finger. She allowed her lips to linger as though to transfer all her emotions into the single action.

Shizuru felt the warmth from the contact permeate through her body, heating her cheeks. She was sure she had imagined the echo of the muted smack as Natsuki lips left her hand.

Deep verdant pools looked upon her. Then, Natsuki spoke the words Shizuru would forever hold close to her mind, body, and soul. "Will… you marry me, Shizuru?"

Unbidden tears fell, dripping down her alabaster features and falling noiselessly onto the floor in silent splatters, sparkling as they did so. Unable to voice her reply, Shizuru nodded, simply nodded. She parted her lips for a vocal reply as well but nothing came out. She shook her head, before she quickly nodded again. Again and again she repeated those actions until the clear sound of Natsuki's laughter resounded into her eardrums.

Shizuru's melodious chortle joined in with her lover's sounds of mirth and happiness.

There was a tranquil stillness as they embedded their beings in the calm moment.

…

"So… are we still green lighting the ears?" Natsuki asked quietly with a grin.

"Ara, but Natsuki would look much more adorable with them." Shizuru replied.

"W-what?! N-no! I-I have an image to keep."

"Oh, and what image would that be?"

"Cool, of course." She crossed her arms.

"Hmm, am I not a 'cool', too?"

"N-no… you're like soft. Warm. Fuzzy. Argh! What are you making me say?!"

"Fufu, then how about a compromise? Oh! Perhaps if we both wore them…?"

"Urk, really? … Fine, I'll think about it."

They fell into another episode of quiet silence.

"… So, Mikoto became some kind of nekogami... or cat boss at least." Natsuki began again.

"And Mai-san became the leader to a local gang." Shizuru added.

"Midori is now a residential hero, leveling up to a new tier of crazy." Came the biker's next reply.

"Chie-san rescued an endanger animal and assisted in shutting down an illegal operation."

"Aoi tackled an officer." She retorted quickly, as if it was suddenly a contest.

"Kikukawa-san had married a… British speaking, glow-in-the-dark sex toy for a day."

"Suzushiro can break dance and rap while drunk."

"Yuuki-san was tied up… and almost used for ritual sacrifice."

"To be performed by Yukariko-sensei's truly."

"… Now my Natsuki has a family."

The older woman felt toned arms circling around her waist. In response, she slid her hands up those feminine arms.

"And lastly… we're getting married. With you… in a wedding dress. Wearing dog ears." Natsuki finished.

Emerald gazed into crimson. Lips tugged into smiles. Then, the young women broke into another fit of laughter.

"Did that all really happen last night?" Shizuru asked wistfully.

"I-I guess so… Ah!" Natsuki started. "We never figured out why I woke up in my lingerie! I really liked that leather suit! Where'd it go?"

"Ara, are you sure you want to know?" Shizuru questioned with sudden seriousness.

Natsuki ignored the shivers that ran down her spine.

"It was simply a case of strip poker," the kaichou said with a wink. "And clearly, we know who won."

_But then what happened to it?_

Natsuki shook her head and exhaled a quick breath. Staring at her fiancée, she smiled. "… Happy belated birthday, Shizuru."

* * *

><p><strong>AN:**-claps- Yay, Happy Birthday to Shizuru-sama!

(Side note: Today's also the last episode to the Legend of Korra. Wow, dat ending...)

The fanfic was made possible by listening to hours of anime-rap mashups. I think I've listened to 10 versions of Renai Circulation by now. I even wake up to lyrics from Poolside Identity. But yeah, I totally do not know how to rap, but it was supposed to sound lame… -scratches head- Haruka and Mai's rap battle was inspired by Libera Me From Hell.

The concept of the fic was inspired by The Hangover. Hopefully, this was a fitting sequel to Red Ribbon.

Anyhow, the idea started around December 11th, where I was like… "OMG, what if Shizuru woke up one day and found animal ears surgically attached to her head?" The story didn't turn out that way, since I didn't want PETA members hounding my door, but yeah… one thing led to another.

If I've made you at least smile once, then I've accomplished my task. My goal was to show the friendship between the cast—that it was still strong despite it being years since the HiME Carnival. I wanted it to be slightly reminiscing, heart-warming, at-times funny, at-times crazy, mayyyybee kinky, but still largely innocent. I considered writing a pure ShizNat fanfic, but somehow this rang clearer to me. But phew, juggling all those characters was really difficult. I actually only had four days to write this… and I think I might have went insane by the end of it.

So, what was your **favorite moment**? And… should there be a **sequel**?

Over and out, folks.


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